Cupcake bakeries are everywhere, "like ants"

The Washington Post the wave of Washington, DC cupcake bakeries (cupcake crawl coming up September 19th!) - another interesting tidbit in the piece is that Georgetown Cupcake bakes 5,000 cupcakes a day!

From the article:

There are online-only local cupcakeries, a vegetarian cupcakery, Blushing Bakeshop in Potomac, a Lavender Moon in Alexandria and Rhonda's Cupcakery in Greenbelt. Established bakers such as CakeLove, Just Cakes, Furin's, Best Buns and Baked & Wired are all in on the act. Early arrivals at the 9:30 Club are treated to Buzz Bakery cupcakes.

"They are everywhere . . . like ants," said Leslie Goldman-Poyourow, a 14-year baker who operates Cakes by Leslie in downtown Bethesda.

As if the competition was not already fierce, Georgetown Cupcake this fall is moving its flagship store to a larger, sit-down location a block away on M Street, and it's opening a branch in downtown Bethesda, which is foodie central in Montgomery County.

Even those in the business see a bubble in the works.

"As more and more places pop up that sell cupcakes and try to take advantage of the wave, the more they lose their uniqueness and the aura that you are getting something special," said Something Sweet co-owner Bo Blair, who also sells full-size cakes, milkshakes, ice cream and other goodies for when the cupcake fad dies.

A Shop to Watch

One development being watched closely is Georgetown Cupcake's foray into Bethesda, where it will pay a hefty rent and compete with the likes of Giffords Ice Cream, Bethesda Bagels, Just Cakes, Haagen-Dazs, a French bakery and Goldman-Poyourow's cake store.

If Georgetown Cupcake's Bethesda store is a hit, generating long lines and lots of buzz, it could be a sign that cupcake stores are here to stay, like Starbucks. If the business doesn't take off, it could mean lights out for the fad.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Rhonda's Cupcakery in Greenbelt is awesome!