Sprinkles Cupcakes

Sprinkles Cupcakes is a Beverly Hills, California-based cupcake bakery chain established in 2005. It is considered the first cupcakes-only bakery.[1][2]

Contents

History

In 2002, Candace Nelson, 33, and her husband Charles Nelson, 38, both investment bankers,[3] visited Candace's sister in New York and tried the cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery. Candace believed that it was "time for cupcakes to stop being the backup dancer to cakes",[4] while Nelson remembered, "I get the cupcake thing; cupcakes are awesome. But we were like, 'The cupcakes aren't that great. They could be so much better and really could taste a lot better'".[5] They took it upon themselves to create a better cupcake; over the next two years, they developed over 20 cupcake recipes.[5]

Although starting a cupcake bakery was a "high-risk venture"[2] and the bakery business was in a four-year no carb decline,[6] the Nelsons pursued their dream. Their "sleek, minimalistic" store was designed by an architect from Vienna[5] and the logo and packaging were created by a former Martha Stewart employee.[5] On April 13, 2005,[5] the Nelsons opened Sprinkles' first store on Little Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The first day, the cupcakes sold out in three hours,[5] and 2,000 cupcakes were sold the first week.[3]

Sprinkles now has 10 locations throughout the United States,[7] with plans to open in 15 more cities including London and Tokyo.[5] The Nelsons also started a traveling "Sprinklesmobile", a Mercedes Sprinter van designed by Sprinkles architect Andrea Lenardin and built by "Pimp My Ride's" West Coast Customs.[8] In 2007 the company developed a line of cupcake mixes sold exclusively through Sprinkles and Williams-Sonoma stores in the United States and Canada.[9] In February 2011 Sprinkles released an iPhone app that features free cupcakes and virtual gifting.[10]

On May 13, 2011, Sprinkles Cupcakes opened its first New York City store.[11]

Ingredients

Candace is described as having a "sophisticated" take on the classic cupcake, using ingredients like sweet buttercream, pure Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, and Callebaut chocolate.[9] She also creates offbeat offerings like vegan and gluten-free cupcakes[12] and even dog-food cupcakes.[13] The cupcakes are baked daily and are free from preservatives, trans fats and artificial flavors.[14]

Celebrity endorsements

Sprinkles has gained many celebrity endorsements.[15][16] Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand, Tyra Banks, Katie Holmes, Paris Hilton,[17] Blake Lively, Ryan Seacrest, Tom Cruise,[18] and Jake Gyllenhaal are among its customers.[19]

Barbra Streisand was one of Sprinkles' first customers and introduced Oprah Winfrey to the brand by sending her a box of cupcakes. Only eight months after opening Sprinkles, Charles and Candace received a call from Harpo Studios that Oprah needed 300 cupcakes for her studio audience in Chicago the next morning for Breakfast with Oprah, wherein she showcases her favorite delicacies. The couple managed to catch an overnight flight, and the cupcakes were featured on Oprah's show. Soon after, sales in their Beverly Hills location increased 50%, to 1,500 cupcakes daily.[20]

Sprinkles has also appeared on The Today Show and Nightline,[1] as well as Entourage[16] and The Girls Next Door.[2]

Sprinkles played a role in Tom Cruise's courtship of Katie Holmes.[2] During the Christmas of 2007, the Cruises sent out boxes of holiday-themed Sprinkles cupcakes to their close friends and associates.[20]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ a b "Sprinkles Cupcakes Takes its Sugar Rush to the Windy City". PR Newswire. 25 September 2009. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sprinkles-cupcakes-takes-its-sugar-rush-to-the-windy-city-61480212.html. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  2. ^ a b c d Wollam, Allison (14 June 2010). "Sprinkles Cupcakes cashes in on Houston's sugar rush". Houston Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/06/14/story2.html. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  3. ^ a b Davidow, Audrey (3 June 2007). "So, Sweetie, I Quit to Bake Cupcakes". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/fashion/03cupcake.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  4. ^ della Cava, Marco R. (30 October 2007). "Cupcake bakeries cater to the kid in us". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2007-09-18-cupcakes-cover_N.htm. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Ganus, Sara (3 October 2007). "Former investment bankers riding cupcake wave". The Oklahoman. http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/27268. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  6. ^ Davidow, Andrea (20 June 2007). "Playing with flour a rising obsession". The San Diego Union-Tribune. http://ww.uniontrib.com/uniontrib/20070620/news_lz1f20cupcake.html. Retrieved 16 August 2010. 
  7. ^ "Locations". sprinkles.com. 2010. http://www.sprinkles.com/locations.html. Retrieved 25 October 2010. 
  8. ^ "Sprinklesmobile". sprinkles.com. 2010. http://www.sprinkles.com/party/sprinklesmobile.html. Retrieved 25 October 2010. 
  9. ^ a b "Candace Nelson: How she empowers others". womensconference.org. 2010. http://www.womensconference.org/candace-nelson. Retrieved 16 August 2010. 
  10. ^ Lucchesi, Paolo (February 2, 2011). "Nightcaps: Pastrami, Zeitgeist, and a cupcake iPhone app - Paolo Lucchesi". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 6 February 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5wHqBHO0d. Retrieved 6 February 2011. 
  11. ^ Heyman, Marshall (13 May 2011). "Setting Up Shop in Manhattan". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/5yjrr2bei. Retrieved 17 May 2011. 
  12. ^ Prisco, Joanna (7 June 2010). "Q&A with Sprinkles Founder Candace Nelson". Parade. http://www.parade.com/food/blue-plate/2010/06/7-Q-A-with-Sprinkles-Founder-Candace-Nelson.html. 
  13. ^ Skatssoon, Judy (28 May 2007). "Shop till you drop in LA". Australian Associated Press. http://www.news.com.au/travel/world/shop-till-you-drop-in-la/story-e6frfqc9-1111113624960. Retrieved 25 October 2010. 
  14. ^ Luna, Nancy (18 May 2006). "Sprinkles bakery to open in Corona del Mar". The Orange County Register. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/sprinkles-69831-cupcakes-nelson.html. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  15. ^ Middleton, Diana (19 October 2006). "Shop sticks to its very own". The Florida Times-Union. http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/101906/bus_5680176.shtml. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  16. ^ a b Stephens, John; Jennifer Burtness (7 November 2008). "United States: Sprinkles Cupcakes Is Seeing Red ...Velvet, That Is!". Mondaq Business Briefing. http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/article.asp?articleid=69428. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  17. ^ Yoshino, Kimi (21 August 2008). "A point of cupcake contention". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/21/business/fi-cupcakewar21. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  18. ^ "Candace Nelson". Food Network. 2010. http://www.foodnetwork.com/candace-nelson/bio/index.html. Retrieved 16 August 2010. 
  19. ^ "Sprinkles Cupcakes Make Its Big Texas Debut!". Business Wire. 30 March 2007. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Sprinkles+Cupcakes+Make+Its+Big+Texas+Debut!-a0161510143. Retrieved 22 October 2010. 
  20. ^ a b Schermerhorn, John R. (2009). Exploring Management (2 ed.). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0470169648. http://books.google.com/books?id=dkd98RXEzmEC. 

External links