Let them Eat (Cup)Cake

by Bernadette Starzee

A popular bakery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is using a mall cart to test the waters of expansion.

Pretty in Pink. Tropical Bliss. Cheeky Monkey. With fun names like these and quality ingredients to boot, Doreen Durano's cupcakes have been a sensation in Tulsa, OK.

In September 2008, Durano opened her gourmet cupcake shop—Kupcakz—in a strip mall in the city. Her husband (who was her boyfriend at the time) and twin daughters, now 11, tasted hundreds of samples to help perfect recipes for the scrumptious creations. A year later, last September, the store opened a cart at the local Woodland Hills mall.

A pastry chef, Durano studied at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and worked at high-end restaurants such as the Ritz Carlton in Las Vegas. She knows a thing or two about quality ingredients. Kupcakz uses high-quality ingredients like Valrhona chocolate and Plugrá butter and makes all its fillings from scratch. The operation makes its own caramel and candied pecans and even roasts peanuts for their peanut butter frosting.

Mall move

Early last year, Kupcakz was invited to open a mobile cart operation at the BOK Center in Tulsa, which hosts hockey games, concerts and other events. The cart has enjoyed success since its opening last June.

Not long after, Kupcakz was approached by Woodland Hills mall. "We're always looking to bring new, quality retail and dining options to our shoppers," says Donovan J. Gerken, the mall's director of marketing and business development. Kupcakz's commitment to using fresh ingredients and its passion for baking made the business an especially attractive proposition, Gerken says.

The idea of a mall location appealed to Durano because of the foot traffic it would generate—something that Kupcakz's original location lacks. "Tulsa is the type of place where people drive everywhere," she points out.

Sweet growing pains

Another advantage of a mall cart is that it's a way of testing the waters of expansion. "We've been invited to open locations in neighboring cities, but transportation becomes an issue," Durano says. With an ultimate goal to open a full-service restaurant, Durano felt starting out on a smaller scale would be a logical first step.

Finding skilled staff has been a challenge. "What I find most problematic is finding skilled labor to bake the cupcakes," says Durano, who adds that she and two staff members currently make all the cupcakes.

Women and children comprise the target market. The bakery caters at birthday parties and other events and accepts custom orders upon request.

Durano is now in the process of opening a second business, Caramel Bakery and Dessert Bar, in a Tulsa strip mall. The new restaurant will have 32 tables and serve a light lunch as well as a full selection of desserts.

Durano's previous cupcake ventures have helped hone her business skills. "The cupcake business has taught me how to run my second business better," she says. "For instance, I have learned to buy used equipment, and about buying exactly what I need and not buying unnecessary things. I guess I have acquired more operating savvy."

For more information, please visit www.kupcakz.com.