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When Samra Alic left Bosnia for Germany to escape the war, she had no idea that she would ultimately end up across the Atlantic. And she never thought she would be running a small business.
“I wanted a better life for my kids,” says Alic of her reasons for moving to Harrisburg with her husband and their two children. Not only did Alic create a better life for her family here, she’s created a home for herself where she can follow her passion: baking.
From the beginning, Alic loved baking; it was something she and her family and friends did together. So when she started thinking about branching out on her own and opening Dalicia, they were nothing but supportive.
“When you open a small business, it’s a lot of work,” says Alic. “I did it by myself until this last year.”
Dalicia Bakery and Coffee Shop first opened in 2016, and it quickly became a hidden gem of Harrisburg. Today, it’s still where Alic and her family craft fresh, homemade, delicious desserts: cakes, pastries, crepes, breads, cupcakes, and more.
“I’m all about layers. I like to have a lot of layers. Cake, cream, doesn’t matter.”
Layering her business with delicious creations is why Alic is thriving in this little European-style café with its cozy eclectic decorations and homey feel. But there’s more to Dalicia than the bakery’s delicious desserts and custom orders. Behind the baking case and layers of cakes are also layers of passion, perseverance, creativity, and love. And because of this, Alic is able to add to the Dalicia family.
“I actually have interns from HACC here, and I let them do the creation, let the magic go,” says Alic. “They have so many ideas of what they want to do. They actually teach me things, too. They are learning everything I tell them…but I do ask them to be creative. And I do like them to express themselves with decoration.”
And she loves to see them loving baking as much as she does.
“It’s wonderful,” says Alic. “I’m so happy; I see they’re so happy when they sing while making cake. That’s the love for what you do, and that’s what you need to do because it is hard work.”
But ultimately it’s that hard work that pays off when the aromas of creativity and passion waft around the shop along with the sweet smells from the kitchen. And even though she’s up to her elbows in flour, Alic says that she’s never tired of it.
“The more you do, the more you love it. The more things you experience, the more you love. I like to do bread. I like to do cake. I like to do everything. I like to be creative with cakes, with pastries, with everything. I don’t have a favorite because I like to do it all. I don’t like to have the same thing; I like change.”
Alic’s love for change inspires her to craft recipes filled with new flavors, which she is always trying to bring to her customers.
“I have so many recipes; it’s going to be years until I use them all,” Alic smiles. “That means I can surprise them all the time. I really care what customers think. I want them to be happy because that makes me happy. That’s how I know I do a good job.”
“I do a lot of research,” she continues. “Even though I’ve been baking for so many years, I’m practicing. I’m always practicing. Because a lot of people now have allergies and stuff. I’m trying to do less butter, less sugar. I do gluten free and stuff like that only by order until I have a bigger kitchen and I can separate everything.”
This attention to detail and her customers is why Dalicia continues to thrive and why the orders keep coming in to the point that the future looks bigger and brighter for Alic.
“Now, I’m working on things so that I [can] have a bigger kitchen,” she says. “I’m going to start more vegan and gluten-free things so that everybody can find something. I might find another place. I don’t know what area because I’m not going to do it right now. Next year. Next year I’m planning to find one more place with a big kitchen.”
Dalicia Bakery and Coffee Shop / 105 S Market St, Mechanicsburg, PA / daliciabakery.com