Hundreds gathered at the Westchester County Center for a small business summit to hear Golden Krust Bakery's CEO talk about what it takes to succeed.

Lowell Hawthorne, the president and CEO of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill, shared his secrets to success with a group of entrepreneurs gathered at the Small Business and Job Seekers summit in White Plains.

The rags-to-riches story of the "Patty King" began in 1981 when he and his family immigrated to America from Jamaica. He's chronicled his journey in his new book, "The Baker's Son."

"We began our Golden Krust organization right in the Bronx, and from there we grew one store to over 120 stores, in nine states and still growing," he says.

Hawthorne says a small business owner needs an irresistible product that hooks customers in order to succeed.

Panelists from Westchester businesses including IBM, MasterCard and WestMed were also on hand for the summit.