Alison Lane and Andrew Silva opened their pastry shop, Mirabelles, in South Burlington, Vermont, in 1990. Rooted in the European tradition, Mirabelles serves flaky breakfast pastries, show-stopping cakes, and a menu of other delights. Mirabelles has been named the best bakery in Vermont every year since 2006 by the readers of Seven Days, Vermont’s largest independent newspaper.
After 34 years of building the business and winning the hearts of Vermonters, they were ready to move on to the next phase of their lives, and to pursue personal interests that had been on hold during the demanding years and early mornings at the bakery. A previous effort to sell the company didn’t work out. Andrew and Alison contacted Venture 7 Advisors to learn about selling a business after reading about their sales of Vermont Cookie Love in Ferrisburgh and the Vergennes Wine Store (now known as Hare and the Dog). Within seven months, Mirabelles had a new owner.
In a recent conversation, Alison said, “Venture 7 spent a lot of time understanding our business in detail. They put together very complete and professional looking marketing materials that showed the bakery in a very good light, and we had several possible buyers interested very quickly.”
Andrew added, “For quite a few months we were shielded from the process while Venture 7 screened the candidates and reported to us every Friday about their progress for the week. Once one buyer emerged, we got more involved in the process, working through the details of the sale. It was a real collaboration. Alison and I had never been through this kind of thing before, and we were surprised at how much detailed information was required. But the guys at Venture 7 Advisors made it easy for us.”
Alison: “This has been our life for three decades, and we loved it! It was like a family – our staff, our customers and really the whole community. A lot of our customers became close friends and we hired a lot of University of Vermont students over the years – for many of them it was their first job! We’re very pleased with the way the sale went. Our customers seem to be happy for us, and they’re glad to see that the bakery is continuing just like before. They can still get their favorites – the creme brulée cakes and eclairs and chocolate mice and sausage pasta and chicken pot pies.
Andrew adds, “I’m looking forward to not having the responsibility, and being able to just do whatever comes along today.”
The Company’s croissants, pastries, tarts and cakes are sold at their retail counter in South Burlington and as frozen, ready-to-bake products at more than 25 specialty food stores throughout the state. Mirabelle’s also sells popular take-and-bake entrées.
About Venture 7 Advisors:
Venture 7 Advisors is a team of merger and acquisition advisors who assist the owners of small and mid-sized companies to plan and complete the sale of their business. We find the best buyer to meet each business owner’s financial and legacy goals. We represent clients in consumer products, distribution, manufacturing, B2B services, construction, telecommunications, and eCommerce from offices in Burlington, Vermont, the Hudson Valley, New York, and Western Massachusetts.
We're here to talk about your situation, provide information, discuss your options, and put things in perspective. Contact us at any time:
Bryan Ducharme
Managing Partner
Mobile: 802 578 6462
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