At the start of the pandemic, Rita Magalde rushed to get a second job. Magalde, who owns the baklava bakery Sheer Ambrosia in Draper, Utah, was concerned that the virus would lead individuals and restaurants to stop buying her baked goods.

She kept the day job out of concern about the future, even though her baklava business has more than bounced back.

“Ironically the company that saved my business and saved me financially, the virus took a toll on that company, and they’re actually closing down our office,” Magalde said. “The reality is my heart and my passion is with my business,” and when she learned that she would lose that second job, “I wasn’t too terribly heartbroken.”

For Magalde, it’s the perfect time to return to Sheer Ambrosia full-time. She’d been nervous about juggling the day job and her extra baklava orders over the holiday season like she did last year.

“November and December, I do more business in those two months than, I wouldn’t go so far as to say the other 10 months combined, but close,” Magalde said. “It’s going to be a long two months.”

Magalde’s goal has long been to buy a home. After the holidays last year, she had reached her target amount to afford a down payment, only to learn from her real estate agent that prices in the area had skyrocketed.

“I’ve kind of put the house on the back burner right now,” Magalde said. “The more money I can make in these busy times, if I focus on that and providing the best customer service, then the more likely I will be able to buy a home.”