Meet Tsuzuki Kanaoka of From TK

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tsuzuki Kanaoka.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Sure, so after graduating college with a Biology degree, I worked at a healthcare consulting firm in Boston. I really enjoyed my time there – I got to travel internationally and work with amazing people, but after 4 years I needed a change. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do next, so I decided to move back to Denver to take a break, recharge, and think about next steps.

Initially, I had planned to stay in Colorado just for a few months, but right when I thought about moving out of state, we were hit with the pandemic. Everything was changing at a very fast speed, and given all the uncertainties, I decided to stay in Denver and hold off on looking for a new job.

I couldn’t see my friends, travel, or do a lot of things I enjoyed doing before the pandemic, which may have been a blessing in disguise. I had more time to myself, and more time to self-reflect and think about what I wanted to do with my career. I thought about going back to the corporate world, but it just didn’t feel “right” – because deep down, I knew I wanted to do something different, something on my own. Start my own business. So I thought that I had to give it a try. I decided to pursue my passion, which for me was baking, and in early 2021 I launched my own dessert business, “From TK.”

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I started in early 2021, and there’s been a lot to learn from building my own website to taking photos of the desserts and learning about the costs associated with starting a business. It’s a completely different type of work than being in an office, but I love learning every step of the way and having something on my own to work on.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about From TK?
From TK is an online dessert business with pickup located in Westminster, Colorado. It is a Japanese-style cake shop focused on flavor and texture, and none of the desserts we offer are overwhelmingly sweet. Currently, we sell the signature tiramisu, which is the most popular dessert at my parents’ restaurant Sakana. It is lighter and not as sweet as the traditional tiramisu, and we top it with housemade cookie crumbs to add some texture to the soft, creamy layers of mascarpone and sponge. We sell by the slice at Sakana and in bulk online with varying sizes ranging from a smaller tiramisu to share for two people or a sheet cake size for birthdays and house parties.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
While market trends and dynamics vary depending on the region, one interesting trend we’ve seen in the U.S. market is the diversifying product lineup supported by the rise in globally inspired flavors. Before, matcha was not something we saw at a local grocery store, cafe, or restaurant. Now it’s widely used in both desserts and drinks, and most people know what it is.

In addition to flavors, there’s been a rise in the adoption of international desserts and sweets. Shaved ice, mochi, Thai rolled ice cream, to name a few. Looking forward, this trend in internationally inspired sweets and the adoption of global desserts are likely to continue. There’s still a lot of food items that are commonly sold in other countries but are barely known in the U.S. I hope to further support this trend by leveraging my background and providing new and delicious experiences to my customers.

Contact Info:

• Email: fromtk2@gmail.com
• Website: www.fromtk.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromtksweets/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fromtksweets/