Baker and business owner Liz Hale shares how a skinny street dog named Rihanna helped her family weather empty‑nest syndrome, post‑COVID gut punches, and the grind of running Cake Fine Pastry and Plum Coffee Shop in Houston. Rescues, cake, grit, and a whole lot of cheese tax.

Connect with Cake Fine Pastry HERE.

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify and YouTube!

This season of Cruz through HTX is powered by Speke Podcasting. Have an idea for a show? Let's get a conversation started. Start HERE.

Key Takeaways

1. How a rescued “diaper dog” became the emotional glue of an empty‑nest household.

2. Street‑dog reality in Houston and why keeping Rihanna was a no‑brainer.

3. The post‑COVID beating independent bakeries took and why Liz refused to fold.

4. What customer obsession looks like when you’re literally getting tickets to deliver cakes.

5. Why being “meant” to own a business shows up most on the hardest days.

Baker and business owner Liz Hale shares how a skinny street dog named Rihanna helped her family weather empty‑nest syndrome, post‑COVID gut punches, and the grind of running Cake Fine Pastry and Plum Coffee Shop in Houston. Rescues, cake, grit, and a whole lot of cheese tax.
Connect with Cake Fine Pastry <a href="https://www.cakefinepastry.com/">HERE</a>.
Subscribe on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cruz-through-htx/id1693177880">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2EipITDvfHUHanTmhWDVqp">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://youtube.com/@thefreddycruz?si=WATJcgjHMjja789L">YouTube</a>!
This season of Cruz through HTX is powered by Speke Podcasting. Have an idea for a show? Let's get a conversation started. Start <a href="https://www.spekepodcasting.com/">HERE</a>.
Key Takeaways
1. How a rescued &ldquo;diaper dog&rdquo; became the emotional glue of an empty‑nest household.
2. Street‑dog reality in Houston and why keeping Rihanna was a no‑brainer.
3. The post‑COVID beating independent bakeries took and why Liz refused to fold.
4. What customer obsession looks like when you&rsquo;re literally getting tickets to deliver cakes.
5. Why being &ldquo;meant&rdquo; to own a business shows up most on the hardest days.

A podcast for Houstonians who want to engage more with their hometown and learn more about the people driving its growth.

Cruz through HTX spotlights the stories, individuals, businesses, and organizations that make the Houston area GREAT.

A podcast for Houstonians who want to engage more with their hometown and learn more about the people driving its growth.
Cruz through HTX spotlights the stories, individuals, businesses, and organizations that make the Houston area GREAT.

A podcast for Houstonians who want to engage more with their hometown and learn more about the people driving its growth.

Cruz through HTX

Twenty-six year radio veteran Freddy Cruz has gone indie.


From former special forces operators and CEOs to authors and journalists, join
Freddy as he seeks to learn from some of the highest achieving individuals in the
world. These are stories of grit and blasting through the crucible of life. Stories of
standing up to powerful corporations and defying the odds. Not all of his guests
are authors, but they all have epic stories to share.