Photo from Toot Sweet Cupcakes
There's a new article from the Austin American-Statesman, "Cupcake business thrive in Austin"
Last year, while in town for SXSW (which I'm sadly not going to this year), I got to try some of Babycakes' cupcakes. The article quotes Wes Hurt of Hey Cupcake!, and also lets us know about somewhere we hadn't heard of, Toot Sweet Cupcakes.
From the simple to the gourmet, new cupcake businesses are prospering in Austin.
With a trend that began with New York City's Magnolia Bakery, which was partially made famous by its cameo on HBO's "Sex and the City," cupcake-centric businesses are now popping up nationwide. Austin is already home to three cupcake-delivery services, a cupcake cafe and a cupcake stand, and more businesses are on the way.
Cupcake expert Rachel Kramer Bussel attributes the trend to portion size and childhood nostalgia. She began her Cupcakes Take the Cake blog in December of 2004 and the site now lists more than 100 bakeries in the U.S. and internationally. She said cupcakes are ideal for small businesses because they don't require a lot of baking experience or overhead costs.
"There's something about cupcakes," said Bussel, an editor and writer in New York City. "The amount of growth I've seen in the last three years is pretty amazing."...
"There's just been bakeries popping up really all over," Bussel said. "So I think there's even more of a market for people who are wanting to open bakeries."
She also refutes the idea that cupcakes are a passing fad.
"I keep thinking, 'Oh, eventually I'm gonna get sick of cupcakes.' I haven't at all because there's always something new out there," Bussel said.
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