by Mike Berger/editor–Northeast
Taylor Stump knew early that she would own her own retail bakery. The challenge, then, was to differentiate her bakery from everyone else’s. She decided to devote much of her space to cupcakes, create a retro setting from the 1950s and ’60s and offer children’s birthday parties. Her company motto? “A Decadent Delight in Every Bite.”
Armed with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing and a minor in communications from Manhattan College, she established her shop, Little Miss Cupcape, on May 23, 2014, after graduating May 22. The shop is located in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
While in college, she catered for birthdays, graduation events and parties but knew her true aspiration as a baker—a perfect setting to sell her treats: “an enchanting place where unique and crafty cupcakes met the beautiful scenery of the sea.”
She was halfway through her senior year of college when the decision was made to open Little Miss Cupcape with her mother, Tonya, with help from father, Kevin, and siblings Sydney, Avery and Rhyees. That gave time to get it ready for opening by graduation time.
“I have become obsessed with baking…turning my daily routine into eat, sleep, bake, repeat,” says Stump, who describes her current position as “owner, baker, counter girl and janitor.”
Her goal is to make each cupcake as unique and tasty as possible, using the purest ingredients, like real butter.
Stump said baking has always been a big part of her life, starting when she was a child with an Easy Bake Oven. She outgrew using baking toys and and started baking real cupcakes.
Her bakery intends to take a visitor to “a whimsical world of cupcake fantasy.” Her visitors are greeted by cupcake-dressed employees; the sweet smell of freshly baked cupcakes and cookies; and the sounds of music from the ’50s and ’60s.
The kitchen is entirely open so visitors can view how all the baked goods are prepared. All items are baked from scratch daily.
Although cupcakes are dominant—14 flavors are offered—the shop also offers cakes, cookies, candy, ice cream and milkshakes.
Although her bakery is successful, she is not settling for status quo.
“I am consistently looking for innovation. I am always looking at our competition and continue to add” new items.
She recently leased some space from her shop to the Hyannis Chamber of Commerce and is expanding her bakery menu to include doughnuts, croissants and muffins. She also has created her own Create a Cupcake Bar, allowing each visitor to choose frosting, topping and a scoop of ice cream. She heavily promotes the shop’s children’s parties.
Her top challenges are finding employees as passionate as she is; the costs involved in procuring quality ingredients; and baking from scratch.
What is her advice for up-and-coming bakers?
“Follow your gut, and heart—instincts. People will always tell you how they think something should be done or run, but in the end you need to follow your own instincts. Also, to always look at the glass as half full not half empty. Even through the struggles, I always think positively rather than dragging on the negatives. We all hit bumps in the road; it’s how you handle them that makes the difference.”
