Derek Kaplan has had a passion for baking since the age of 15, but he never imagined that his side hustle would turn into a staple in the Wynwood dessert scene.
Known by many as Fireman Derek, Kaplan opened his first bake shop in 2014. Eight years later, Fireman Derek's has customers traveling to Miami from across the country for a taste of their one-of-a-kind pies.
Kaplan taught himself how to bake as a teenager by cooking everything from scratch with fresh ingredients. One of the first pies that he taught himself to make was key lime, which is still one of his favorites to eat and make to this day.
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"I just kept evolving it over the years," Kaplan said. "I would learn new pies, new flavors, new cakes, and I would go door to door selling the product."
As Kaplan grew up and perfected his craft, he decided that he wanted to serve his community by becoming a firefighter for the City of Miami.
Soon after joining the department in 2006, Kaplan started selling his pies as a side hustle, utilizing his downtime to bake 25 to 30 pies a week.
He started out baking in his father’s apartment, but as demand for his pies grew, he transitioned to baking out of a number of Miami-based commissary kitchens.
In 2014, Kaplan found 600 square feet of vacant space in Wynwood and Fireman Derek soon became a household name in the up-and-coming neighborhood.
Two years after opening Fireman Derek's Bake Shop, Kaplan retired from the fire department to pursue baking full-time.
"I was stationed downtown. I had worked there for 10 years, and the reason I decided to leave was that I had a business that needed my attention full-time," Kaplan said.
That life-changing decision led Kaplan to the start of his dessert empire, from his first shop in Wynwood to his second in Coconut Grove, and his newest Fort Lauderdale location opening soon.
FIREMAN DEREK'S RECIPES
"You have such a mecca here of many different cultures," said Kaplan. "I feel like the city of Miami, in general, is a place that is coming into its own like New York City or Los Angeles."
Kaplan explained that when customers sink their teeth into his desserts, he wants them to have an experience that they will never forget.
"We're their guilty pleasure," said Shift Lead Amaya Fuentes. "People come here for a celebration, and it makes people genuinely really happy to eat our sweets."
In addition to offering mouthwatering pies, Fireman Derek's Bake Shop also offers cookies, cheesecakes, brownies, milkshakes, cakes, and savory pies as well.
"I think sweets bring so much joy to people and I really enjoy seeing people get that experience," said Fuentes.
Kaplan wants to continue expanding and growing his business with more flavors of pie or another storefront in the future to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of Miami.
"Miami, in general, is an international city and I feel that the urban parts of Miami are very valuable in terms of the landscape, the culture, the food, the art, and the music," Kaplan said.
Kaplan says their best sellers include the key lime pie, the cookie monster pie, the guava cheesecake, and the savory buffalo chicken mac and cheese pot pie.
If you don't live in Florida, you don't need to board a plane to try one of Kaplan's creations. Anyone in the U.S. can order treats from Fireman Derek's Bake Shop shipped right to your door!
