- November 21, 2024
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Theresa Tazewell said her top three best sellers are the red velvet, carrot cake, and a maple bacon that has a maple buttercream and baked in pieces of bacon on top of it. Courtesy photos
by: Julia Ambrose
Theresa Tazewell whips up more than 1,000 cupcakes herself every day. She does it for that look on her customers' faces.
"I wanted the same wow factor as when you walked into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and your mouth drops," she said. "You see 500 cupcakes in 40 or 50 different flavors, and you stand there in awe for five minutes not knowing what to choose. That's what you get every time you visit the Cupcake Café."
The Cupcake Cafe, which originally opened in 2015 in Bunnell before closing in 2018, reopened March 3, 2022, this time at 230 St. Joe Plaza Drive, in Palm Coast. Tazewell spoke with me over the phone recently about her inspiration and her dreams for the future.
Why did you choose to reopen your cafe at this time?
I had just left my job at Publix and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. My cousin inspired me to reopen my cafe. So I went over and I immediately talked to my dad. He was like, “Yeah, but we’ve got to do it in Palm Coast, because this is where people live.”
What is your daily routine in the store?
Usually a typical day starts around 6 a.m. I have to go and pick up my Walmart order. I probably go through about 700-800 eggs in a week. We make about 1,000 or 1,500 cupcakes every day. It's a lot of stuff. And it's just me that bakes. I bake everything, and I decorate everything myself. I have a girl who runs the counter as well. I usually put on a Netflix show like “The Office.” I quote it the whole time, and I laugh. I put on music sometimes and I jam out. It's a happy process. It's very happy and upbeat and it's great. I love it. I absolutely love it. My oven, Big Bertha, is a beast. She pumps out some cupcakes, let me tell you.
Which cupcake is your customers’ favorite?
Our top three best sellers are the red velvet, carrot cake, and we have a maple bacon that has a maple buttercream and baked in pieces of bacon on top of it. We also have a cupcake filled with fudge frosting and frosting on top of it with flakes of red pepper and cayenne pepper.
Do you predict even more growth for your company this year?.
Absolutely. What we make in a day here is what we used to make in a week. What we make in one week is usually 3 ½ to 4 months in Bunnell. I want people to know that I'm back and better than ever. We predict that we're going to be busy, busy, busy.
We also make cakes, and, once we get tables, we're going to have a decorate-your-own cupcake party. You can sign up and come over on the weekend and decorate at your leisure. We'll be doing paint nights again and decorate-your-own ice cream sundaes. We're also working on a Shaker Palooza where customers come in and pick whatever toppings and flavors they want and we'll make up a shake for them.
What's something that has surprised you about reopening your own shop?
How big all these children got. I don't know who gave them permission to grow up. These children that were little itty bitty are young adults now, and they haven't forgotten me. It's been so great to see everyone all over again. It's like a reunion almost but one that I get to relive every single day.
Do you ever make cupcakes in your own home just for fun?
If I need something. Like today, it's actually my father's birthday, and I just made him a birthday cake here (at the cafe) and I'll bring it home. Why bake it at home when my home is Cupcake Café?
