RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — In October of 2020, at just 15 years old, Roz Burgess had a pretty sweet idea.  

“Me and my grandma, we always grew up in the kitchen baking. She would always bake my teachers pies and she would always make them cakes,” said Roz Burgess, CEO of Burgess Bakery.

Over time, he developed his own love for baking — a love that has evolved into something he never imagined possible.

At just 17 years old, he is the owner and CEO of his own business, Burgess Bakery.  

Everything you see, he paid for. Other than using the family kitchen, his parents keep their hands out of the cookie jar.  

“I’m a people person. Interacting with customers all the time for stuff like this, I truly love it,” said Burgess.  

And the first item on the menu? Hot chocolate bombs.  

Up next, cake pops.

His ideas grew even bigger when Burgess saw a need in his own community.  

“Growing up I never really did see people with my skin color owning businesses like this,” said Burgess.  

For Burgess, he said it was about more than just owning this kind of business, it was also about seeing his culture being represented in his product.  

He never saw men baking in the kitchen, especially black or bi-racial men.  

So, when a customer who looked like him showed up, he knew he was baking his way into history.  

“I just wanted to make sure that kid had something to resonate with and I wanted to make that happen for him and she was a really happy mom,” Burgess said.

For Burgess, it’s a labor of love. He said he hopes his ideas continue to bake their way into the homes of families.

So what’s next for Roz Burgess and Burgess Bakery?

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He is hoping to continue to use his skills after he graduates high school and goes to college.  

By the way, Burgess is not only a successful baker, he’s the starting center at Wakefield High School and maintains a 4.0 grade point average while taking honors classes.

To learn more about Roz Burgess, check out his Instagram and Facebook pages. Looking to order a batch of cookies? Head on over to his website.