Oh so sweet

By S. Kim Henson  

JANUARY 21, 2011 11:34 a.m. (0)

When Kristin Kuhlke Cobb was looking for a place to open her fourth bakery in South Carolina, a business consultant suggested she visit Greenville.

Cobb saw lots of people walking. Cars and bikes traveling the streets. Businesses open along and beyond Main Street.

“The tree-lined streets, fabulous shops and restaurants, beautiful parks, the bridge, river and ballpark. It’s a great place to spend your time,” said Cobb.

So she chose 120 N. Main St., across from Mast General Store and next to Barkery Bistro, for the Chocolate Moose, which is scheduled to open in late March.

Cobb opened her original bakery, Cupcake, in her hometown of Charleston in March 2006. She opened Mount Pleasant’s Cupcake in the spring 2008 and Columbia’s in August 2009.

The Greenville location is two years in the making. Andra Watkins, Cobb’s business consultant and president of Positus Consulting, advised Cobb about location, market analysis and financial feasibility of the project.

“I advised Kristin not to open the Greenville store before or concurrently with the Columbia store even though she wanted to. It would have been too much to take on,” said Watkins.

Before deciding on a storefront, Cobb and Watkins compared downtown Greenville to the Charleston and Columbia locations. She took Watkins’ suggestion to hold off until she found reasonably priced real estate.

In the meantime, property values lowered in the past two years. Main Street had ample traffic from businesspeople during the day and residents and visitors throughout the day and into the evening hours. The site Cobb settled on is visible and centrally located, near busy stores and within walking distance of a parking garage.

An additional advantage is the absence of a comparable business downtown although there are plenty of complementary ones.

Cupcake offers nine flavors daily from a list of 47. The Greenville site will serve cupcakes plus homemade sweets including chocolate mousse pie and coffee cakes.

The Chocolate Moose’s bill of fare prompted the name change from Cupcake for the Greenville shop. Cobb is creating a story about a moose family to go along with the bakery. Tiramisu will be named after the mother, Moose Sue.

“All three cupcake shops have the same menu. The Chocolate Moose, however, will be an expansion on the cupcake idea. We will have a larger coffee selection and a larger dessert selection,” said Cobb.

Cobb attributes Cupcake’s success, especially during a downturn in the economy, to being in the business of selling a nostalgic, fun and inexpensive treat, “a little piece of happiness.”

In 2010, all three stores exceeded their financial goals selling cupcakes for $2.75 each, $30 for a dozen, mini cupcakes for $15 a dozen and mega cupcakes (six inches in diameter) that serve up to eight people for $18.

Cobb was introduced to the cupcake craze while she lived in New York City. She went to a birthday party and the hostess served cupcakes instead of cake.

“I thought it was so fun. It had been so many years since I had eaten a cupcake. And it was such a happy memory,” said Cobb.

Cobb and friends would eat out in the West Village, go to a show and end the evening eating cupcakes at the spot made popular by Sex and the City, The Magnolia Bakery.

“I lasted exactly a year, a month, a week and one day in New York. I moved there for an adventure – came back with lots of ideas and inspiration.”

Although the bakeries she visited in the city were not exclusively cupcake shops, she researched and found a few like Sprinkles in Los Angeles, one in Chicago and a couple in the Seattle area. Five and half years later, she said, there are hundreds. Cupcake has been featured in USA Today, National Geographic Traveler, Southern Living and on Ellen DeGeneres’ Web site praising the rocky road flavor, Martha Stewart Radio and more.

Jen George, Cobb’s best friend and Cupcake’s director of operations, will oversee The Chocolate Moose.

Desserts including cupcakes will be made from scratch, no preservatives added and from fresh and organic ingredients when available like homemade candied pecans, vanilla beans, butter, whole milk and organic peanut butter. Greenville’s patrons will have the opportunity to decide if their favorite cupcake, unanimous in the other stores, is Southern red velvet cake with cream cheese icing.

“Our cupcakes taste homemade like what your mom or grandma made you as a child,” said George.

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