uh oh...i think i'm in trouble...
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
from The Virginian-Pilot
Inside the glass display case, the individually wrapped delicacies come in vibrant colors and carry names as tantalizing as they look: Espresso Royale. Piña Colada. Ho-Ho Heaven. Cookies ’n’ Cream. Habanero Hottie.
These are cupcakes. Ornately decorated, meticulously frosted cupcakes. Just cupcakes.
Chesapeake native and lifelong baker Dawn Eskins opened Carolina Cupcakery last month in the Edinburgh Commons shopping plaza off Hillcrest Parkway. With her creative concoctions, she has brought to Hampton Roads a retail concept that other cities have savored for years.
Call it cupcake chic. It’s all about one product – albeit in different forms and flavors.
And locals are taking their first bite of the trend. Curious shoppers wander into the Cupcakery and wonder at its precise merchandise. “Just cupcakes?” they often ask.
“Absolutely,” answers Eskins, a graphic designer by trade. “But it’s every kind of dessert you can think of, morphed into a cupcake.”
In its first three weeks, Eskins said, the business has exceeded her expectations. Now living in Camden, N.C., and partnering with her two college-student daughters, Eskins earned enough money in her first three days to cover her shop’s monthly rent, she said.
Their website is a little sparse (but says the rest is coming soon - is this a new trend, that bakeries get local newspaper writeups before their websites are fully functional?) but this is how they describe themselves:
CAROLINA CUPCAKERY specializes in gourmet cupcakes, as well other cup-sized treats, baked fresh, from scratch, using the most organic, wholesome ingredients we can find including; unbleached flour, sweet-cream butter, farm-fresh eggs and organic flavorings. We are committed to supporting local produce farmers.
CarolinaCupcakery will offer a rotating menu of more than 70 varieties of their rich, scratch-baked cupcakes. The collection is noteworthy for its broad range of flavors, inspired by everything from Happy Hour drinks to Retro Classics such as Ho-hos and Creamsicles. The daily menu changes to include special holiday, seasonal and folksy combinations such as Peanut Butter and Jelly and Girl Scout Samoa cupcakes.
As a small-batch bakery, we bake all day, so more varieties of cupcakes are available, fresh. Baking 8-10 different kinds each day, paired with the fact that most cupcakes stay moist at least 3 days, means there are 24-30 varieties available most of the time. A baking menu is published, so customers know when to come, to get their favorites, fresh!
Plus they bill themselves as green - they don't use styrofoam, use compostable/recycled materials, etc. See their FAQ for more information.
CarolinaCupcakeryLLC
237 Carmichael Way #221 (beside the new Target)
Edinburgh Commons North, off Hillcrest Pkwy in Chesapeake, VA 23322
Daily operating hours: Monday - Saturday, 8- 7pm (extended summer hours to come)
Sunday, noon- 5pm (No baking/Previously baked goods will be discounted)
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They even serve gluten free cuppycakes for Porter...wahoo!!!!
I think we'll make a little trip for Carson's birthday cupcakes, eh? Better go get ready....kids will be home from the movies after 2pm....can't miss an opportunity like this....uh....it's for Carson....you know. hehehe.
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