When customers line up to buy pastries from Sarah’s Bakehouse branches today, only few would imagine that it once struggled to receive a single order.
Behind the growing bakery brand is entrepreneur Joshua Gaor, whose journey from being employed and repeated business failures, to building one of the country’s rising pastry businesses.
Testifying during the Recover All Ministries (RAM) Convention last June 12, 2026 at The Crossroad Center, Quezon City, Gaor shared how the company behind the thousands of cheesecakes and egg pies sold each month began not in a commercial kitchen, but inside his family’s garage.
Before entering the food industry, Gaor worked as a nurse in the United States but he said he felt called to return to the Philippines and pursue business.
His first venture appeared promising as he invested approximately PHP 7 million into his first restaurant franchise business.
The success, however, did not last as it eventually closed. Gaor found himself questioning why his plans had fallen apart. What followed were several more business attempts, each ending in failure.
“I was questioning God,” he recalled.
He described feeling as though he had reached the bottom but he still chose to continue moving forward and believe in God.
One of the lessons he learned was that faith must be accompanied by action. The experience he had reflected James 2:17, which states, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
For Joshua, faith alone was not enough but he needed to take action.
The turning point came when Joshua decided to learn baking.
Determined to create products that could stand out in a competitive market, he invested time studying desserts and experimenting with recipes. Among them was what would later become Sarah’s Bakehouse products.
The process was far from easy as according to Gaor, it took around 50 attempts before he perfected the recipe where every day involved testing, tasting, and making adjustments. The same dedication went into developing the bakery’s now-popular egg pie and burnt cheesecake.
His vision extended beyond the products themselves. Sarah’s Bakehouse plan was designed around the idea of creating comfort food that would bring joy after every bite – from its golden yellow and maroon color palette to its accessible on-the-go concept.
Gaor credits much of this mindset to his parents who he considers as mentors, Apostle Abraham Gaor and Sarah Gaor who taught him the value of preparation.
“The only way to be successful is to know how to plan,” he said.
“It’s good to have faith, but you also have to do your work.” he also added
The humble launching pad: the garage
Joshua is a hands-on entrepreneur. From the start, he handled everything where he baked the products, answered customer inquiries, purchased ingredients, delivered orders, and managed operations.
He also began training people close to him to help as demand increased. One of them was Nining, their household helper, who is now the company’s supervisor. Employees were trained to ensure customers received the same quality regardless of who prepared the products.
He also distributed 20 cheesecakes free of charge to introduce the brand to more people. With this strategy, it created an unexpected ripple effect as the recipients who enjoyed the desserts ordered more for family and friends. Through the years and through word-of-mouth, the bakery’s reputation was established.
Prepared for an unexpected opportunity
Just as Sarah’s Bakehouse was gaining momentum, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted all business operations across the country.
While many establishments struggled to adjust, Gaor said the bakery already had a system for online orders in place. Thus, weeks into the pandemic, when everything was online and goods were delivered at the customers’ doorsteps, orders started arriving.
Looking back, he believes the company had unknowingly prepared for the challenge ahead.
The bakery also benefited from social media visibility. Gaor personally learned photography and content creation to promote products online as he believed that entrepreneurs should understand every aspect of their business.
One post eventually reached more than 17,000 engagements.
Celebrities including Alex Gonzaga, Ivana Alawi, and Marian Rivera featured Sarah’s Bakehouse products on their platforms that helped introduce the brand to even wider audiences.
Through the quality of their baked goods and good feedback they received, the bakery was fully booked for three consecutive months.
The growth transformed what began as a home-based business to multiple commissaries. As their operations continued to scale-up, they needed larger facilities in which they opened and dedicated.
In 2023, another milestone arrived as Sarah’s Bakehouse opened its first mall branch at SM BF Parañaque. They sold around an astonishing number of 1,200 slices of egg pie during the opening day.
More branches soon followed: SM North EDSA, SM Fairview, SM Mall of Asia, Glorietta, TriNoma, SM Megamall, and several other commercial centers.
Today, the company produces more than 14,000 egg pies and 7,000 cheesecakes monthly with around 120 employed staff. From a business that once received a single order per week, Sarah’s Bakehouse has grown into an operation with multiple stores, commissaries, delivery trucks, and a dedicated headquarters.
Despite this, Gaor maintains that the foundation of the business remains where it is not measured solely through sales, branches, or growth. For him, it is built on patience, persistence and perspiration.
He also credits his success to God and his family as he believes in the importance of honoring parents, serving in the ministry, and keeping God at the center of every decision.
“When a family stands together with God at the center, no storm can easily break them,” he said.
Sarah’s Bakehouse is a reminder that success is not built overnight. Behind every slice of their cheesecake and every box of egg pie is a story of their sacrifice and faith. Failure does not have the final word for Joshua Gaor’s journey but a foundation upon which a greater purpose is built.
Know more of the full story of Sarah’s Bakehouse founder and CEO Joshua Gaor through his testimony during the RAM Convention:
Follow Sarah’s Bakehouse online to stay updated on their latest goods, announcements, and promotions through their official social media accounts:
Website: sarahsbakehouse.com
Facebook: Sarah’s Bakehouse
Instagram: @sarahsbakehouse
