Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyane Semeniano.
Hi Lyane, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Honestly, PnayCake was unplanned! Haha!
It all started when I was living in California. I made a cake for a friend’s daughter’s birthday, and I started getting compliments and people asking if I made custom cakes or took orders. I wasn’t really planning on starting a business, but I thought, why not? So I started accepting orders, and that’s pretty much how it all began.
Fast forward to the pandemic, I moved back to Virginia, and I really wanted to continue what I had started in California. Around that time, ube pandesal was trending, so I jumped on that too! But I was still mainly doing custom cakes.
Then one day, another local business owner reached out and asked if I wanted to do a pop-up at her shop. Mind you, I had ZERO experience doing pop-ups. I didn’t know what to bring, how much to make, or even what to expect. But of course, I said yes! Haha! I just figured I’d learn as I go.
And honestly, that one little pop-up changed everything.
Eventually, I met my husband, and we started building the business together. We slowly shifted from mainly doing custom cakes to creating more Filipino-inspired baked goods and desserts. We wanted to bring familiar Filipino flavors into things people already love, but with our own little twist.
What started as small local pop-ups eventually turned into bigger markets and festivals. Now we’re traveling beyond Hampton Roads, doing events in Northern Virginia and even New York, which is something I never would’ve imagined when I first started.
It’s still crazy to me that all of this started with one birthday cake. We didn’t have this huge business plan or know exactly what we were doing. We just kept saying yes to opportunities, figuring things out along the way, and learning from every experience.
And honestly, we’re still learning! But I think that’s part of the fun. Seeing how far we’ve come, meeting people who genuinely enjoy what we make, and getting to share a little bit of our Filipino culture through food makes everything worth it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh, definitely NOT! Haha! I don’t think there’s such a thing as a smooth road when it comes to owning a business, especially when you have absolutely no idea what you’re getting yourself into!
I didn’t go to business school, I didn’t have any background in running a business, and honestly, I had no clue how much actually goes into it. I just knew how to bake! And the funny thing is, I didn’t even go to school for that either! Haha! Everything I know, whether it’s baking or running a business, I’ve learned through trial and error, a lot of practice, and figuring things out along the way.
Everything has been a learning experience. From figuring out permits and licenses to pricing our products, preparing for markets, managing inventory, and learning how to run the business side of things. Every time we decide to try something new or take the business a step further, there’s always another challenge waiting for us. It’s like, just when you think you’ve figured everything out, something else comes up! Haha!
And I think one of the biggest struggles is realizing that being good at what you do and knowing how to run a business are two completely different things. We’ve made mistakes, learned some lessons the hard way, and had moments where we questioned what we were doing. But every experience has taught us something.
Has it been a smooth road? Absolutely not.
Has it been worth it? YES!
Has it been fun? Definitely!
Would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat!
Because at the end of the day, despite all the stress, sleepless nights, and challenges, there’s something really rewarding about building something from nothing and watching it grow into something you never imagined.
And honestly, we’re still figuring things out as we go. But that’s part of the journey, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about PnayCake atbp?
PnayCake atbp is our little Filipino-owned bakery based in Virginia Beach, specializing in Filipino-inspired baked goods and desserts with our own twist!
We originally started with custom cakes, but somewhere along the way, we started experimenting with different pastries and desserts. We love taking familiar Filipino flavors and turning them into something a little different, sometimes even combining them with desserts from other cultures. Some of our best sellers include our Ube KRACK cookie, Sans Rival cookie, and our different tres leches flavors like kalamansi, buko pandan, and ube. We also recently introduced our Pan de Concha, a fusion of Filipino pandesal and Mexican concha. Sounds a little random, right? But that’s exactly the kind of stuff we love doing! Haha!
I think what sets us apart is that we don’t really put ourselves in a box. We love finding that balance between something nostalgic and something new. Even our name represents that! The “atbp” stands for “at iba pa,” which means “and many more” in Filipino. We never wanted to limit ourselves to just cakes or traditional Filipino desserts. We love experimenting, getting creative, and seeing what works!
What I’m most proud of is how far we’ve come. From making cakes at home to doing local pop-ups and now traveling to Northern Virginia and New York for markets and festivals. And something people might not know is that my husband and I both work full-time jobs outside of PnayCake! I work in pharmacy, so balancing everything definitely isn’t easy, but seeing what we’ve built together makes it all worth it.
At the end of the day, we just want to make good food, share a little bit of our Filipino culture, and have fun doing it. We’re still learning, still growing, and definitely still have a lot of ideas we want to bring to life. After all, that’s what the “atbp” is for! Haha!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We’re always open to collaborations, especially with other small businesses and creatives who love thinking outside the box! We’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing local businesses, influencers, and we love coming up with fun, unique ideas together. Whether it’s creating something new, participating in markets and festivals, or being part of community events, we’re always excited to see what opportunities come our way!
And honestly, supporting us doesn’t always mean buying something. A simple follow, sharing our posts, recommending us to a friend, or even just stopping by our booth to say hi means so much to us!
As a small business, word of mouth goes a long way, and we’re incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported us throughout this journey. Every little bit of support helps us continue doing what we love!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pnaycake
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pnaycke
- Other: https://shop.bakesy.app/b/pnaycake-atbp
Image Credits
Lorra Marcelo
Geneve Saria
Nico DePerio
Samantha D.
