3. Conceptualize the Cupcake (and Be Pretty)
“Part of why cupcakes have been so successful is that they’re catchy,” says Rachel Kramer Bussel, founder and co-editor of Cupcakes Take the Cake, a popular blog dedicated to all things cupcake. Unless they’re for your child’s third grade classroom, slapping some Betty Crocker frosting on a vanilla mini cake is not going to win you much attention.
To thrive in this industry, you need to offer something unique, experts say. Some cupcake store owners offer customized designs, or different shapes and sizes to differentiate themselves. Cupcakes Squared in San Diego, Calif., offers square-shaped cupcakes. Baked By Melissa boasts miniature tie-dyed and flavor-filled cupcakes. Manille Bakery in West Covina, Calif., creates special fondant toppings and Cupcakes Nouveau in Coral Gables, Fla., sells “couture” styled cupcakes inspired by France’s haute couture fashion. And don’t forget, no matter what the concept, appearances count. “If [your cupcakes] don’t look fabulous, people are not going to stop by your bakery,” says Kramer Bussel.
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Other cupcakeries like to create an experience inside the cupcake shop. Sweet Revenge in New York City, for example, takes an upscale approach and encourages patrons to pair cupcakes with a glass of wine or beer at its bar.
4. Deeee-lishousness
Of course your cupcakes need to taste great. Spending time perfecting the recipe is no waste. Faulkner Brown thinks her business secret might just be in her special frosting, the ingredients of which she refuses to share with anyone. By demand she recently began jarring up and selling the cream icing to customers, adding extra revenue. “[My frosting] is what we’re going to be able to hang our hat on one day,” she says.
Sold on the cupcake concept? Now take a look at the costs.
—Catch more of Farnoosh’s advice on Real Simple. Real Life. on TLC, Friday nights at 7.
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