Cupcakes sell like hotcakes at shop

Unique variety sold at trio's new business

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It's been hard work, but in some ways starting their own business was a piece of cake for three former casino executive assistants.

Taking their cue from the recent popularity of cupcakes, Pamela Jenkins, Laura Santo Pietris and Dawn Kalman opened The Cupcakery, 9680 S. Eastern Ave., on Jan. 23.

The Southern Belle -- a red velvet cake smothered with cream cheese frosting -- is expected to be a big seller for Valentine's Day. The partners will decorate the cupcakes with names, heart candies and more at the request of customers.

But it does not take a holiday to sell the fanciful desserts.

An average of 1,000 cupcakes a day have been leaving the doors of their shop since its first day. The response has been a bit overwhelming for the three friends, who were working on hiring their first employee after being in business for only nine days.

"By three o'clock in the afternoon, we're almost sold out every day," Jenkins said.

Certain flavors are almost always on hand. There's the Southern Belle; Boston Dream, a yellow cake with Bavarian creme filling and topped with a cap of chocolate ganache; The Grasshopper, a chocolate cake topped with mint butter cream frosting; Tickle Me Pink, a classic white cake with pink vanilla butter cream frosting; Coconut Bliss, coconut cake with vanilla frosting sprinkled with coconut flakes; and Mocha Mocha, a mocha cake with cappuccino butter cream frosting and crowned with a chocolate-covered espresso bean.

Customers also can request flavors for special orders.

There's even the Good Morning, Cupcake -- a moist yellow cake with cinnamon swirl topped with a sweet glaze. For anyone watching their weight, there's Angel Fluff, a light angel food cake drizzled with a low-fat, sweet glaze.

When they came up with the idea for the bakery, the three women all worked for top executives at the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas.

They were sitting around flipping through a food and wine magazine one day near Christmas of 2004 when the phones were dead and saw a story about a cupcake bakery in San Francisco.

"We got to talking and wondered why Vegas didn't have one of these," Jenkins said.

Jenkins had lived in New York City for years and witnessed the popularity of specialty bakeries firsthand.

Cupcakes were everywhere it seemed -- celebrity weddings, magazines, television style guides -- except in Las Vegas.

Jenkins said she always had hoped to start her own business, but did not know what she would sell or where or when. The three women had no long-term plan, but when the cupcake bakery idea surfaced, they all immediately became motivated.

"We weren't planning anything all along, but as soon as we thought of it, we knew we were going to do it," Santo Pietris said.

About two days before the three women were going to put in their notice of resignation and start their business, their bosses told them they were about to sell the Golden Nugget. They were not expecting that news at all, but the timing could not have been better. Even though they each had job offers with the new company, they instead decided to start the Cupcakery.

It has been hard work, but Jenkins said Las Vegas is the perfect place to start a business.

The community is much more friendly to new and small businesses, Jenkins said, calling Las Vegas a big small town.

"It's one of those cities where everyone wants you to succeed," Jenkins said.

The tax structure is helpful as well, she said.

Jenkins said she really enjoys the creative aspect of the business. She and her partners are always coming up with special cupcakes and different ways to decorate them.

"For as many hours as we're here, we have a really good time," Jenkins said.

Indeed, the women are putting in some long hours to get the business off the ground. They get to work at the break of dawn and leave after closing time. There is always baking and frosting to be done. The lunch crowd alone, much of it from the Red Robin restaurant across the parking lot, keeps them busy. But they also are working on special orders at any given time for parties, weddings and other events.

They can decorate cupcakes for specific events with lettering using special tools. They even have the equipment to reproduce photos in frosting.

Some people are taken aback by the price -- $2.25 per cupcake or $24 for a dozen -- but Jenkins said they are worth every penny. The cupcakes are colorful, unique and made with the finest ingredients available, she said.

"All of our ingredients are fresh, no preservatives and everything is in and out of here within 12 hours," Jenkins said.

Jenkins said people are drawn to the cupcake for a number of reasons. Customers often mention to her that they like the variety.

"Instead of getting one dessert, they can take a dozen home and have 11 different flavors," Jenkins said.

The appeal also extends to dieters, Jenkins said. A cupcake is still cake, but it features less guilt for many people, she said.

"It's only two or three bites and you don't feel so guilty after eating it," Jenkins said.

Jenkins said moms love cupcakes for the easy clean up. Big kids seem to love them, too.

"I could take that chocolate cake recipe and make a big cake, but for some reason it never tastes as good when it's a cake," Jenkins said. "I think it (cupcakes) reminds people of their childhood."

Heather Cooper was taking home a couple of Southern Belles the morning of Jan. 31. She said her 8-year-old daughter was the first to notice The Cupcakery. Cooper patronized the shop three times in its first nine days. She said she wanted to try all the different flavors. She loves the cupcakes and was impressed with the store's concept, she said.

"It gives you the feeling like, 'Why didn't I think of that?' " Cooper said.

Jenkins said the goal is to eventually have the capacity to cater large events in the future and to expand to different locations. The Cupcakery is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.