Beloved Blue Duck Bakery Owner Named 'Woman Of The Year'

EAST END, NY — For 19 years, Nancy Kouris and her husband Keith have been the force behind the magic of the Blue Duck Bakery Cafes, which began with their first location in Southampton and now have fans lining up for their artisan breads and mouthwatering desserts at additional locations in Riverhead, Greenport and Southold.

But while their culinary artistry has brought them national recognition, what every local friend and customer knows is that it's their fierce work ethic and love of family and community that has been the hallmark of the couple's forever legacy on the East End.

That sentiment was echoed recently by the East End Women's Network, when members voted to select Nancy Kouris as their 2018 Woman of the Year.

Upon hearing she'd garnered the accolade, Kouris said she was deeply honored. "I have been a member of this fabulous group of women on and off for about 18 years. They are an incredible group of business women, both current and retired, who share their successes and struggles with pride and concern for each other."

Reflecting on what guiding principles she's held close while building the business, Kouris said she and her husband, in a recent presentation for the Long Island Food Council, discussed some "F" principles. "They are really what have brought us through all these years of crazy! They are 'focus, fortitude, face your failures, forgiveness, forge on and faith," Kouris said. "We applied them to business but they apply to family, too."

By focusing on the problem at hand, Kouris said, it's possible to find solutions and options. Fortitude means the strength, endurance and courage to see it through, while facing failures helps to put them behind you, and gives perspective, she said. "Forgive yourself for your mistakes and missteps — we are only human. Forge ahead. As Rocky Balboa says, 'It’s not how hard you can take a hit but much you can get hit and keep moving forward.'"

The most important tenet, she said, is faith. "For us, it’s believing in yourself, your loved ones and God. And one other thing: laugh — a lot. A good sense of humor really heals all."

Kouris said achieving a balance between family and a thriving business, which she runs with her husband, isn't always easy. "Sometimes it works, sometimes not. It is extremely difficult when the season hits out here. It’s just work and putting out fires. I am sure many businesses out here experience the same. We try to carve out family time and a date night here and there. Hopefully we can catch up over the slower months for a bit of down time."

For other young women just starting out, Kouris has advice: "Keep that dream in front of you. Don’t let it slide to the back of your mind. Educate yourself and what needs to be done and take that first step no matter how small. Sometimes just writing your idea down is the first step to much greater things. Keep moving forward no matter what obstacle is in front of you."

The key to success in business lies in distinguishing a definition of success and what it means to you, Kouris said. "Then you can set your goals, have the discipline to complete them, and maintain the will to make it happen. You have to believe in it," she said.

Judy McCleery, president of the East End Women's Network, said Kouris was nominated by past president Helen Minieri Stacy; the EEWN changed its nominating policies in recent years so the candidate must be a member of the organization.

Kouris, McCleery said, was a natural choice; her business pursuits have run the gamut from fitness to the Blue Duck Bakery Cafes. She's known for her dedication to giving back to the community, including the puzzle-shaped cookies baked to raise awareness about autism.

"Nancy is a very kind, giving person, but also very smart, very business savvy," McCleery said. Candidates nominated must display characteristics in areas including service, leadership, good character, and community, she said, adding, "Nancy embodies all of that."

To the EEWN, Kouris said, "Being selected is just incredible and I am truly thankful for their confidence in me. This recognition gives me new energy to continue to move forward with more projects and dreams."

Kouris' family is the heart of all she does, her life's greatest meaning. Of her mother's much-deserved recognition, her daughter Noelle said, "It's thrilling. "I’m so proud of my mother," she said. "She gives all she has to everything she does. She is certainly a woman I admire and strive to be like. She is proof you can do anything."

Quoting her hero Eleanor Roosevelt, who said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams," Kouris added, "I couldn’t have said it better myself."

Patch photo by Judy McCleery.