It used to be that Champaign-Urbana was somewhat fad-free. Not anymore.
The News-Gazettte reported Monday that a “cupcake bar” is coming to downtown Champaign. (I guess if we didn’t get one Hollywood trend, we get another.) According to today’s USA Today cover story, cupcakes “cater to the kid in all of us.” Just a few weeks ago, I was watching Nightline with my parents and we saw a feature about Sprinkles, one of the gangbuster cupcake boulangeries in Beverly Hills. Supposedly, people wait up to 45 minutes in line for a chance to spend $3.25 on a cupcake endorsed by Oprah. Sprinkles has been so successful that they are now branching out across the country; a Chicago location is expected soon. There are even (of course) blogs devoted to cupcakeries.
As others have commented, it is curious that this is being called a “bar” and that the targeted market is the bar-hopping crowd. Obviously, I’m no MBA (or I would have figured out a way to make real money off of this thing a long time ago), but I’m not sure if the Bates sisters aren’t missing the boat here. While Downtown Champaign is surely a nighttime destination, the crowds aren’t coming for cupcakes, unless they have Kahlua in them. As the News-Gazette story notes, there are places downtown where you can get dessert late at night and drink. Most of the stories I have read about the cupcake phenomenon indicate that devotees are moms pushing strollers. The market isn’t limited to hipsters out on the town, but also morning hipster wanna-bes. (Of course in NYC, the cupcake mecca, they are open from early morning to after midnight).
Good luck to the Bates sisters. I applaud their entrepreneurial spirit and hope they prosper, and prove me wrong.
15 responses so far ↓
Papa@Home // September 19, 2007 at 10:36 am
I for one am happy to have a downtown destination that isn’t focused on nightlife. I am still hoping for the retail sector to find it (as predicted by the Champaign planners). If there is a reasonable reason to go downtown during the day, more people would stop. Persimmon didn’t make it but that (IMHO) was not generalized enough as a stand alone operation. It would have done great if we could have bought milk and sandwich bread too.
frugalmom // September 19, 2007 at 11:16 am
That sounds interesting. Maybe will crate more mom traffic there in the daytime.
Mrs. Chicken // September 19, 2007 at 12:48 pm
they will prosper. I will single-handedly keep them in biz.
Weight Watchers be damned.
Leeanthro // September 19, 2007 at 1:57 pm
I would love to take my daughter there for a monthly mommy-daughter cupcake outing. (Future playdate, anyone?)
Can’t say it’s the most convenient location for taking a young child though.
I think they must be zero points on the WW plan if it’s bonding time with your child, right?
Katherine // September 19, 2007 at 4:37 pm
I used to love hanging out in downtown Champaign. I spent a lot of time at Kopi, The Pig, The Esquire, and Jupiter’s and of course Jane Adams. My husband’s band used to play downtown pretty often, but come on! Trying to go back there with a baby is almost impossible. It seems as though everything in that area is so far from baby friendly it’s insane. My daughter can pull things off any shelf, spill any cup of coffee, and pull anyone’s hair within a five mile radius (she’s very impressive like that). After all of that you have to consider parking with the new M2 (is that the name?) and that’s a nightmare. All that said I just ate a pile of Oreos so I’ll probably go wherever the cupcakes are.
Going Like Sixty // September 19, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I guess if donut shoppes can make it then why not cupcakeries? However, it seems to me it would be good to have a “glazed donut” priced cupcake.
But the target has to change from bar hoppers the morning coffee crowd, as many have mentioned.
Don // September 20, 2007 at 8:49 am
“Batter Up”
…good one!
wally "the Fen" fenwick // September 20, 2007 at 9:20 am
I go to bars looking for cupcakes.
Liz // September 21, 2007 at 6:32 am
I’m a teenager, and I know a lot of my friends are excited about this. We obviously can’t go to conventional bars, and this seems like a cooler thing to do anyway.
khanada // September 21, 2007 at 10:50 am
My babies and I are stoked about the cupcake bar! The husband wasn’t as excited as I had expected him to be…
Dr. Pink // September 21, 2007 at 4:26 pm
I went to a Sprinkles in Newport Beach, California when I was there last month visiting family. Cute concept, but the cupcakes were nothing special. Seriously over-hyped. The frosting was heavy, and the sponge dries out pretty fast, so you really have to eat them right then and there. A lot of people do just that, though. There was a line, but I waited maybe 10 minutes, not 45. In any case, I wasn’t thrilled. Those 10 minutes would have been better spent toward making my own cupcakes at home (which are better! America’s Test Kitchen recipe all the way!).
Lisa // September 22, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Yeah, I was totally ignorant of this fad when I reported on the “bar.”
I wish them well, too.
Trisha // November 2, 2007 at 4:59 pm
as i was holding my friends baby yesterday, we had an earnest conversation about the need for “mom places” during the day. although i have been planning the cake bar to be transitional from kid heaven during the day, to adult heaven at night, i haven’t been very outspoken about the daytime ambiance. thank you for bringing this to my attention. fyi moms — we will have organic, freshly made babyfood available, along with high chairs, a bathroom changing table, and a book case with lots of children books! if you have other suggestions, i’m always willing to listen!
lbotp // November 4, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Trisha,
Thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to seeing your shop and glad to hear about the family-friendly amenities you are planning. By the way, when are you opening?
Leeanthro // November 4, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Trisha- Do you have a website up yet?
An idea for birthday parties for little girls: Let the girls ice and sprinkle their own cupcakes.
The family-friendly daytime amenities sound great. I will definitely stop in with Grandma and my daughter! Hopefully on a regular basis.
Maybe you could have a grand-opening or pre-opening taste test for us local mommy bloggers and we can get the word out. I just LOVE cupcakes!
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