Through the BabyCakes NYC blog (big yay for bakeries that blog!), I found this piece on Lower East Side bakery BabyCakes NYC by founder Erin McKenna's sister Elizabeth McKenna at Sadie Magazine. She starts out sharing that Mary-Louise Parker is a fan of the bakery and goes on to detail the brainstorm that led to the successful bakery, set to open in LA in 2009 with a cookbook coming out in April. I like that they had an original idea for their bakery name, because since then many have piled on with naming their bakeries Babycakes.
“So…” she said, barely able to choke back her excitement, “I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I’ve decided to open an allergen free bakery in the city. And I have the perfect name for it--BabyCakes. Doesn’t that just sound right?”
“What?” I choked on my Red Bull and almost dropped the cigarette that dangled from my fingers. I was in probably the unhealthiest phase of my life and subsisted on a steady diet of Popem doughnuts, French Fries and bagels. Opening a “healthy” bakery seemed like the most retarded thing I had heard. I also wondered why, after seeing her for a week straight in San Diego, this was the first time she brought it up.
“I’ve been trying to figure out what I should do with my life,” she elaborated, “and I realized that a wheat free, vegan cupcake is exactly what New York needs. You have no idea. Cupcakes are so big right now.”
I paused for a moment and thought about it.
“That’s so cool,” I finally responded and nodded my head in approval. “You totally should. I think you can do it. I had no idea that cupcakes were anything special. New York is so rad like that.”
It's a great read for anyone looking to start a bakery, with McKenna fighting obstacles like, well, this statement from her mom:
“I don’t know who the hell you think you are. You can’t bake. I mean we baked cookies together when you were a kid, but that’s about it. I don’t know where in the hell this idea came into your head…”
“So…” she said, barely able to choke back her excitement, “I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I’ve decided to open an allergen free bakery in the city. And I have the perfect name for it--BabyCakes. Doesn’t that just sound right?”
“What?” I choked on my Red Bull and almost dropped the cigarette that dangled from my fingers. I was in probably the unhealthiest phase of my life and subsisted on a steady diet of Popem doughnuts, French Fries and bagels. Opening a “healthy” bakery seemed like the most retarded thing I had heard. I also wondered why, after seeing her for a week straight in San Diego, this was the first time she brought it up.
“I’ve been trying to figure out what I should do with my life,” she elaborated, “and I realized that a wheat free, vegan cupcake is exactly what New York needs. You have no idea. Cupcakes are so big right now.”
I paused for a moment and thought about it.
“That’s so cool,” I finally responded and nodded my head in approval. “You totally should. I think you can do it. I had no idea that cupcakes were anything special. New York is so rad like that.”
It's a great read for anyone looking to start a bakery, with McKenna fighting obstacles like, well, this statement from her mom:
“I don’t know who the hell you think you are. You can’t bake. I mean we baked cookies together when you were a kid, but that’s about it. I don’t know where in the hell this idea came into your head…”
Comments