Can you please tell me a little about yourselves?
Melinda Moreno, age: 50, co-owner of My Delight Cupcakery, administrative assistant for Praise Chapel Ontario; hobbies- spending time with family, hiking with my dogs. (right in photo)
Naomi Moreno, age: 30, co-owner of My Delight Cupcakery, Executive Pastry Chef. Hobbies: experiencing new and authentic cuisine, creating and enjoying art of all kinds. (left in photo)
What inspired your love of cupcakes?
Naomi: I’ve always had a passion for cooking and baking along with a creative eye. I started out with an easy bake oven, followed by the oven in my mom’s kitchen, and then the professional type at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts school. Before I had my own business, I made hundreds of custom cakes for family, friends, and friends of friends. I enjoyed experimenting with different flavor creations as well as making the cake visually beautiful. However, these cakes are very time consuming and limit a baker to pleasing one customer (or group) at a time. Cupcakes offered me a way to continue being inventive with flavors and artistic in their presentation, but with the added ability to share my creations with thousands of people each week.
How did your company begin? (catering, home kitchen, storefront)
Naomi: Like mentioned above, I began by baking cakes for family parties, then friends started to ask for their special occasions. Once I went to culinary school, I knew I wanted to open my own cupcakery. When we began looking into opening a storefront, there were no cupcake-only bakeries in the Inland Empire and we knew the people needed one! It was not smooth sailing, but with the help of family and friends, we were able to open our doors to a group of enthusiasts lined up around the building on December 5, 2009.
 |
| Dulce De Leche |
What fuels your creativity for such unique flavor combinations?
Naomi: I am constantly trying new foods. I like to go out and experience current trendy foods.
I attended the LA Cupcake Challenge and your raspberry red velvet cheesecake cupcake was one of the greatest things I have ever tasted in my life! How did you feel about winning best bakery for the 3rd year in a row?
Thank you! That’s flattering, especially coming from someone who has tried a lot of great cupcakes!
Winning LA Cupcake Challenge this year was a huge honor! Since this year they did away with the “most original” “best traditional” and “best overall” categories and instead just did a “Best Bakery,” we knew it would be a harder win... an all or nothing set up. There were a lot of unique flavors this year, so we weren’t sure how it would go, but thankfully our 2 flavors stood out enough to grab the votes. Winning once is exciting, but winning three years in a row is just amazing! We’re just so thankful for all the love & support the public has shown us.
 |
| Red Velvet Raspberry Cheesecake @ Cupcake Challenge LA 2012 |
Winning these different cupcake events has helped grow our fan base, and also affirmed that we are doing something right! There is always the pressure to cut corners to cut costs, but we refuse to sacrifice quality. We only use the highest quality, REAL ingredients and we only sell cupcakes baked fresh that morning. It’s a difference you can taste, and the public has confirmed that by voting us #1 in every contest we have entered.
I went to your bakery a couple weeks ago to grab a cupcake on my lunch break and the line was out the door and in the parking lot! Is that the daily norm at the shop?
Yes, more often than not. Of course, there are lulls now and then, but business is steady most of the day and at times it goes from steady to crazy in the blink of an eye. When we have special menus (like for holidays) we definitely see an influx of customers coming in.
 |
| Thin Mint & Breakfast Cake |
After successfully building such a fantastic bakery, what advice would you give new small business owners that you wish someone would have given to you?
Melinda: Be prepared for delays and whatever you think the cost will be, double it!
Naomi: Follow your bliss! If you’re passionate about what you do, the trials are worth it.
What is your personal favorite cupcake flavor to eat and what is your favorite to make?
Naomi: Eat - Pistachio; Make - Coconut Lemon
What is your favorite thing about cupcakes?
Their endless flavor possibilities!
My Delight Cupcakery
1520 N. Mountain Avenue
Ontario, CA
Comments