Andy and Katie Rooney’s ‘3 Little Figs’ is off and running, ready to take your order.

By Max Sullivan

Two years doesn’t sound like a very long time to spend searching for success as a bakery owner. Katie Rooney, part owner of 3 Little Figs bakery on Highland Avenue, sees it a little differently. “I guess it depends on your perspective,” said Rooney. “For me it seems like it was a pretty long time.”

Rooney, 31, has spent life engulfed in her family’s Greek baking tradition. Now, after two years of networking in the Boston café scene, Rooney and her family have brought their tradition to the masses. Since its opening last Halloween, 3 Little Figs has gained a steadily growing customer base by blending common bakery flavors with a dab of Rooney’s Mediterranean heritage.

Rooney is grateful, to say the least. “It’s surreal”, she said. “It blows my mind on a daily basis that I could have an idea and work really hard to get where I am today.”

Before taking it on professionally, Rooney and her family saw baking as way to bond together. “(Baking’s) been passed down through the generations,” said Rooney. “My grandmother taught my mother to bake, and she helped me to learn. It’s been something we’ve always enjoyed doing together.”

Two years ago, things changed for Rooney. Not only did she lose her advertising job, but she lost her beloved grandmother as well.  In mourning and in need of a job, she saw fit to pursue a career path that honored her Yiayia (Greek for grandmother).

“I was thinking of a way that I could start a new career for myself and also pay tribute to my grandmother who meant so much to me,” said Rooney. “My mother and I got together and said, ‘Well, why don’t we start taking some of what we love and try to get it there to the public.’”

And so it was decided. Rooney and her family would try selling homemade baked goods. Rooney got started by renting a kitchen space and going to the farmers’ markets in the Boston area. One of many people pushing products, she found that it was difficult to turn a profit. On some days she felt like things were moving along, but there were plenty of times when Rooney felt discouraged. “(There are times when) you’re sitting there at a farmers’ market in the pouring rain,” said Rooney, “And nobody’s around, and you’re like ‘Why? Oh gosh, I’m crazy, I must be crazy to do something like this.’”

Rooney was persistent though. She handled adversity well.

“You had to keep some perspective,“ she said.” I basically had to say, ‘I have some long term goals, and there are steps that I need to go through to get to those long term goals.’ Farmers’ markets were a stepping stone for me.”

Scrumptious desserts are the specialty of the house.

Things gradually picked up for Rooney. She became acquainted with local cafés. This led to wholesale offers, and soon she was delivering her products to cafés all over Boston.

“I eventually got some wholesale customers,” said Rooney. “Cafés who were looking to carry my products and sell them with their coffee, so then I started delivering my wholesale treats all around the city of Boston, and I had built a nice clientele of about six cafés.”

Rooney decided to take the final step, opening her own shop. While at the Somerville Winter Farmers’ Market last year, Rooney stumbled upon Highland Avenue for the first time. She loved the setting and the people. She and her family decided it was the perfect location for her new business.

Rooney is amazed at how far she’s come from the long, rainy days at the farmers’ markets.

“Now I’m sitting in my own café,” said Rooney. “I’m not even sitting because I can’t find a seat because it’s so busy, and people are really enjoying themselves.”

According to Rooney, 3 Little Figs is more about blending familiar tastes with a slight Mediterranean twist. There are plenty of foods that feature classic Greek flavors, but this café is not limited strictly to Greek cuisine.

“If you’re looking for flavor infusion and some really delicious spinach pie, this is a great option for you,” said Rooney.

Rooney said there’s plenty of great coffee. That, along with the décor, is handled by Rooney’s husband, Andy. And it’s her family, like Andy, that plays the biggest role in shaping the workplace for Rooney.

“There’s never a dull moment.” Said Rooney. “It’s nice to have such an intimate relationship with the people that you work with.”

“On the other hand, we all have our moments,” she added, laughing.

Rooney said the name “3 Little Figs” was chosen partly for its Mediterranean connection, but mostly because the play on words fits the three women running the shop: herself, her mother, Kathy, and her sister, Caroline.

“We wanted something cute that would make people smile and represent the underlying theme of what we did, which was just to be happy.”

Visit Three Little Figs at 278 Highland Avenue. You can find them on the web at http://www.3littlefigs.com/.