Hello Cupcake Lovers,

Bayers Lake is getting closer to being a reality!  We have been hard at work the past few weeks & everything is finally coming together. 

Demo was quick & painless, just wish that were the case for the entire process!  The major plumbing & electrical has been completed (including having to saw cut the floor to relocate the washroom…which really slowed us down as it is concrete afterall & they ended up having to jack hammer the floor to move the pipes).  Two plumbing & one electrical inspections have already been completed so now the walls have been constructed for the kitchen, washroom & decorating/party room.  Drywall is complete including the long process of taping, mudding, sanding & annoyingly endless drying time that was needed but still annoying just waiting!  Majority of painting was completed this weekend but still the ceiling, trim, doors, etc left.  Floors were started today & our brand new checkered floor will be complete tomorrow!  And have you seen our awesome new illuminated signage yet?  On both the front & back of the building as well as the pylon sign (the big directory board under Walmart, etc).  I have been amazed at how many vehicles we have seen come into our lot just to check us out so far so the signage is definitely creating buzz!

Here are a few pics…

Demo Complete:

Floor cut for new plumbing, ready to fill back in with new concrete:

Steel studs going up for our new walls:

We have walls!  New drywall up:

Signage showing better indication as to where we’re located, next to Harvey’s:

Pylon Sign.  The only regret I have is I wish I had reversed the purple & white so it stands out better from a distance:

Looks great as you get closer:

The front sign will pop even more this Spring (after the weather warms enough) when we plan to paint the bulkhead behind the sign pink.  Note, the building exterior is also getting a cosmetic overhaul this spring so please ignore the sad looking building exterior until the weather is nice enough to have it fixed:

So next up is the millwork to come in & equipment to be delivered which is happening this Wed & Thurs.  Electricians & plumbers will then be back to complete all of the hook ups & then we are close to done!  That leaves all the manual labour for my crew & I (major cleaning, assembling furniture, setting up all equipment & supplies, purchasung inventory, etc).  This is when it’s a great thing to already have one location as I have lots of sets of hands to help get this second location ready.  Now if only I had all my new staffing in order!  I’ve hired a few but am spending lots of time this week doing more interviews.  At least I have a few newbies in training this week at Dresden & will have more to follow soon… 

I still cannot give an exact opening date yet as there are still too many variables left to complete, especially since we need to be 100% complete & have the place in immaculate condition to obtain our food permit before we are allowed to open our doors.  But my best guess is within the next 2 weeks we will be ready for a soft opening & will operate with modified limited hours for the first while until I have sufficient trained employees in place and then we will have our grand opening!  So stay tuned…and visit our Dresden location in the meantime! 

As promised, I will do my best to document and share the progress of our newest venture with you.  So enjoy some of the demo pics we took tonight…

 
The boys hard at work:

Having some fun – yes, that is a foot coming through the wall…

 
The mess…

And that is the state it was in when I left tonight but the boys are making amazing time and should have it all cleared out tonight.  They were using giant shovels as “dustpans” when I was leaving!  So next up are the plumbers and electricians then we can start to rebuild! 

Shall we start taking wagers on how long construction will take and when we’ll be ready to open??  I have my goals set but afraid to say anything just yet,…so stay tuned!

First select your cupcake flavour – chocolate and vanilla will be available every day with others such as marble, red velvet, peanut butter, etc rotating throughout the week.

Next, select your buttercream flavour – these flavours may also rotate but will ultimately include chocolate, pink vanilla, peanut butter, mint, caramel, and coconut.

Then select up to 4 mix-ins for your custom creation (one mix-in is included).  The final list of mix-ins has not been set (and may change) but currently the selection will consist of: rainbow sprinkles, gummy bears, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, flaked coconut, Reese’s PB cups, Skor bits, peppermint patties, Oreo cookies, Pop Rocks, Snickers, Crispy Crunch, M&M’s, assorted nuts…

What’s that, you want Pink Vanilla Buttercream with Rainbow Sprinkles and M&M’s?  Comin’ right up…

And hubby wants Peanut Butter Buttercream with PB Cups, Chocolate Chips and Crispy Crunch bars?  Sure thing…

We then hand paddle your mix-ins into the buttercream using our cake spatulas…

Don’t forget hubby!

…and then top your cupcake with your customized buttercream!

You are so scoring points with hubby for this one!

Finally, rainbow sprinkles can be added to the top of your cupcake at no additional charge.  Your choice, with sprinkles…or without.

The “Create your own Cupcake Bar” is purely about flavour & taste sensation.  Unfortunately, the process would not be feasible to do with piping the buttercream on top to make it “pretty” as the mix-ins would clog the decorating tips, slow the process down, and be too costly and wasteful filling & disposing of decorating bags for one cupcake.  The good news is for esthetic purposes, the tried and true taste sensations of our daily cupcake line-up will be available in our cupcake display case to purchase individually or in large boxes to go as always!

I hope you are as excited about the newest interactive experience we are cooking up for you when we open location #2.  We didn’t want to simply create a “cookie cutter” template of our existing location (although the look, feel & décor will be carried over from Dresden) but we wanted to continue to dream up new and exciting experiences for our customers.  After all, it has been my goal from day one to have Susie’s be more than just a “cookie” or a “cupcake”…but a true customer experience.  And by the looks on our customers faces when they glare into our cupcake case and they revert to a childish grin (often with a squeal of excitement), I know I’ve accomplished what I set out to do…and it re-enforces why we do what we do each day with every smile that ensues!  How many of you can say that about your jobs?  So that’s why “Life is sweet at Susie’s…”

We look forward to serving you soon at our new Bayers Lake location!  And of course I still have one more surprise up my sleeve…  Stay tuned! 

I hope Santa was good to you all…even those who may have been on his “naughty” list. ;)  We had a busy holiday season at the bakery.  We packed up all the treats that remained when we closed on December 24^th and made a trip to the Salvation Army to donate all the goodies.  We do make regular donations to various shelters and charities throughout the year but the Christmas donation is usually the largest one since we will be closed for 2 weeks, pretty much everything we have is boxed up and donated so we can start fresh when we return.  It feels great to give back and hopefully we made Christmas a little sweeter for some of the folks at the Sally Ann.  

We also had a wonderful Christmas at home.  Our 4 year old daughter had a good visit with Santa.  She wanted nothing to do with him until she discovered he was handing out big boxes of Smarties and then she darted into the line-up!  Her big present from Santa this year was a Barbie Dream House…however, Barbie now has a “Dream Town House”, which comes complete with an elevator.  I must say Barbie has moved on up since I was a kid.  I also don’t remember there being so many different “Ken’s”…hmmm…an elevator town house and lots of gentlemen friends…  Anyways, in addition to her complete “Toy Story” addiction we were able to get her to watch a movie other than Toy Story 1, 2 or 3…Beauty & the Beast which was recently re-released.  We had a wonderful family movie night with popcorn and hot chocolate and all was well…until the end of the movie.  Chloe sat silently blankly staring ahead and then burst into tears…Say what?  But why?  The Beast turned back into a Prince and lived happily ever after with Belle!  “But I didn’t want the Beast to go away!” she cried.  Unbenounced to us, it is very difficult for a 4 year old to comprehend that the Beast & the Prince were the same person…to her, the Beast was dead.  Oh the drama…and we are attempting to take her to see “Tangled” at the movie theatre tomorrow.  Please tell me it has a safe, happy ending…?? 

So we are now enjoying our “time off”…  Although we’ll be closed for the next couple of weeks, there will be no rest for the wicked.  We are diligently working on getting everything in place for the new location.  We have the first draft of the floor plan done so we are hoping to finalize that later this week so we can then apply for our building permit and also submit it for our landlord’s approval.  The list of things to do is growing longer each day no matter how many things we get checked off…it continues to grow!  I am also trying to get all of my big equipment ordered by the end of this week so there is sufficient time for shipping, etc.  The signage is also in the works but it is proving to be a daunting task due to our design requirements and the complexity of our logo (primarily the curly font).  So as if all this wasn’t enough to handle while on “break”, we are also going to use this opportunity to spruce up our existing store…moving some stuff around in the kitchen and re-painting some of the fixtures that are in need of a little polishing out front.  So lots of balls in the air…just hoping I don’t drop any…

Thought it was time to share some photos of some recent work since it’s been a while since I’ve done so.  Enjoy the pics and enjoy the rest of your holiday! 

North Pole Cake (for a customer visiting from Nunavut):

Gravedigger “Monster Truck” Cake (for some of our favourite customers little boy’s birthday):

Custom Logo Cupcakes for a cosmetic company’s product launch:

Custom Logo Cupcakes for Miller Beer:

Dragon & Castle Cake (for a repeat customer’s little boy’s birthday – last year was a pirate theme):

Cat in the Hat Cake (for Chloe’s best friend’s 4th birthday):

And so the journey begins!  I know I’ve already made my official announcement but I haven’t posted the details on here so I guess I should since I said I would post my journey of building the new location on my blog.  Soooo, we are officially opening Susie’s location #2 in Bayers Lake Industrial Park.  The space is in the Walmart parking lot between Payless Shoe Source and Harvey’s.  We are very excited about the location as we feel it maintains our small “boutique” look in an area filled with “big box stores”.   We knew location #2 had to be central, easily accessible, have lots of free parking (all of which downtown is not and the complaints we usually hear from customers about coming downtown) and be a high traffic area.  So for us, this is the perfect location.  And as always, we plan to make it known we are there once we open!

We are so excited to get things underway.  And I have already begun working “behind the scenes” on lining as much up as I possibly can before we actually get the keys and start building this sucker out.  I’ve been acquiring equipment and lining up all my contacts to be ready to start asap.  We officially take possession of the space on February 1^st so opening day is contingent on how long it takes us to complete all of the leasehold improvements.  I am optimistic that I will be able to coordinate things smoothly having one build out under my belt already and having built relationships with many trades people over the years now (still need a plumber though…anyone have a referral for me?).  So realistically my goal is mid-March…but sooner would be better if all the pieces fall where I want them to.  (You really can only plan so much unfortunately…which sucks when you are a MAJOR planner!  I have to pre-plan how I will make my plan…it’s really sad.)  Anyways, I met with my designer the other day and we are working on the floor plan which is the first step in getting all my trades people geared up and knowing what we want them to do…that and actually obtaining the building permit!  I have also started posting for employment opportunities that will be available at our new location and my inbox is filling up quickly with resumes.  I will have to interview, hire and train new employees in January & February while trying to juggle all the construction of the new location along with continuing to manage our current location!  I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

 So enough with all the exhausting babble…let’s peek at some pics!  Since we have a roster of over 100 cupcake flavours I thought I would start posting some photos of individual cupcakes so you can see what each flavour looks like.  It’s obviously going to take a while with so many flavours but let’s start with some seasonal flavours first:

Candy Cane

vanilla & pink peppermint swirled cake topped w/ layers of vanilla & mint buttercream & crushed candy canes

Egg Nog

vanilla cake topped w/ egg nog buttercream & sprinkled w/ fresh grated nutmeg

Gingerbread

 gingerbread cake topped w/ vanilla buttercream & gingerbread man sprinkles

Hot Chocolate

chocolate cake topped w/ hot chocolate marshmallow buttercream & miniature marshmallows

So that’s the update for now but I will keep you posted as we progress…I have lots of fun ideas in store for the new location that you will be sure to enjoy!  I will tell you what they are as soon as I work out the details…but I promise they are fun, creative and unique.  Happy Baking!

Happy Holidays Cupcake Lovers!

Hard to believe the big day is almost here!  Just wanted to send out a reminder to place your Christmas orders soon so you have our yummy treats to bunker down with over the holidays!  We will close at 3pm on Dec 24th and don’t re-open until Jan 6th (our “summer vacation” of sorts! Although this year it will be spent working on getting things in order for the new store!!)

Wishin you all a happy holiday season!

Hello Cupcake Lovers,

What’s this you say, two posts in two days?  Shocked, I’m sure.  Me too!  But I am enthralled in my work and looking for some more inspiration so thought I would put it out there to all of you!

Brace yourselves, I am in my creative mode again so the sky is the limit.  I am planning with the next location to have a separate room where we can host parties and offering some decorating classes and workshops!  I know, exciting, isn’t it??  We have received requests for both of these services many times since we opened our Dresden location so it is definitely something I want to offer in location #2. 

So now, I want to know what you all might be interested in learning (not promising we’ll do it all, just want to know where interest lies).  My plans are for general classes such as basic cupcake decorating, working with fondant, etc.  I also plan to have more advanced classes in sculpting with fondant in themes such as: people, animals, princess, super hero, flowers, etc (which may become even more specific still).  Also having holiday themed classes showing fun designs for each occasion like Christmas, Valentine’s, etc.  In addition to classes, I would like to offer regular workshops that are fun for a variety of groups such as: Girls Night Out, Mommy & Me, Kids in the Kitchen, Sleepover Fun, Afternoon Tea Party, Bachelorettes, Baby Showers, Wedding Showers, Team Building, etc!  Some can be as workshops where individuals can sign up and others as booked parties (and I assume birthdays will be the most popular).  As a mom myself, I know what it’s like trying to find something new to do each year for a fun kids party experience!

Anyways, just trying to get feedback as to how many of you would be interested in attending any of these things and if so, any other topics you would like to learn??  It’s going to take a long time to create all of this content so we will have to roll out different things at different times…and probably slowly…so just curious which area I should probably tackle first.  I look forward to any and all feedback and suggestions.  Thanks!

Hello Cupcake Lovers,

Do you really know who you are following on Twitter or whose blog you’re actually an avid reader of?  I bet you think you do.  And for the most part you probably do.  But did you know there are many people/businesses out there that hire others to do it for them?

I’m sure we’ve all heard of Ghost Writers before, that’s nothing new.  But the reason I am blogging about this is I find it to be a fascinating topic.  You see, ghost writing isn’t just for books or articles anymore.  Nor is it just for celebrities or political leaders, etc.  Ghost writing has evolved with technology…which I think is brilliant! 

I have been approached by several individuals in the past year or so who have wanted to “help me with my online presence” either by writing blog posts for me or taking over my Twitter account!  This would probably be a good time to clarify that it is truly ME typing right now!  Haha  Now, I have conflicting feelings about it.  I have complete respect for these media geniuses.  It takes an extremely talented person to be able to take on someone else’s persona and the audience be none the wiser for it.  But I know this is not the direction I want to go with Susie’s.  My goal has always been and will continue to be building my business on my own.  This doesn’t mean that I won’t want or need help along the way (we all do) but I have decided that I want to be real with my customers and it truly be me talking to them (or lack thereof as it may be when I’m MIA) than having someone else pretend to boost my social networking presence.  

So go “chat” with your favourite celebrity on Twitter now…sorry if I burst your bubble.  Just wanted to give you some food for thought…

Hello Cupcake Lovers,

Yes, I realize I am not Oprah and by no means do I think my little post will have any impact on other businesses sales (Man, have you seen “The Oprah Effect”?  If not, I highly recommend watching it, especially my fellow business owners out there).  And no, I will not be giving away these items for free…especially not cars!  But being a Foodie, I am often asked what things I like to eat so I thought I would share some of them with you…

Let’s start with baked goods.  Yes, I certainly do shop at other bakeries and enjoy some very much.  One that really stands out for me is the croissants at Julien’s.  O.M.G.!  So buttery and flaky with a nice crisp exterior and an incredibly moist melt-in-your-mouth sensation inside.  I am more of a purist so I just get the plain butter croissants but they come in an assortment of flavours.  I actually only recently discovered these gems when I needed a little nosh at the Seaport Market one morning.  I rarely get to attend the market anymore but I was needed to man our booth and stumbled upon these morsels of buttery goodness and have bought quite a few since…  (www.juliens.ca)

The next treasure I discovered was on our way back from Amherst one weekend (the in-laws live in Amherst so hubby & I were visiting) and it was supper time so we decided to stop in Truro for a bite to eat.  I randomly searched my Navi system looking for something different to try we don’t have in Halifax and came across Frank & Gino’s.  While the atmosphere leaves something to be desired, the food was absolutely amazing (sorry F&G, not a fan of the décor.  I found it to be a confusing distraction and does not reflect how good the food actually is).  The concept is much like Eastside Mario’s…but done right…with really good, fresh food.  From the amazing fresh home baked garlic loaf to the zesty Caesar salad to the aromatic pasta course, we enjoyed every bite.  We enjoyed it so much that we have purposely driven to Truro a few times since just to dine there so I highly recommend you give it a try some time (I especially like the lasagna).    (www.frankandginos.com)

I have to admit, I do have somewhat of a fish & chip fetish.  It’s just one of those things that I could eat more often than not…but try not to since they’re not so good for you…  I’ve probably tried fish & chips at most restaurants around the HRM by now and I will say Freddie’s Fantastic Fish House makes the best.  Their fish just tastes fresh and the batter isn’t heavy and thick like a lot of places.  Freddie gets it right by offering fresh cut fries (I have to say one of my biggest pet peeves with f&c places is when they serve frozen fries…that or they cheap out and serve No Name Ketchup…please, it really does need to be Heinz to not ruin my meal).  I also recently discovered that Freddie makes amazing gravy so I bet the poutine must be great too (haven’t had it…yet).  You also probably won’t find better service anywhere.  Everyone that works there is just so damn nice, friendly, and personable and makes you feel right at home.  So go on over to Freddie’s…  (sorry no website – Freddie, you need a website!!)

The steak award, bar none, goes to the Mic Mac Bar & Grill.  Sure, I enjoy and go to The Keg, Ryan Duffy’s, etc…but the Mic Mac just does it right every time.  Apparently, they butcher their own meat right onsite so you know you are getting the freshest steak possible.  They season it perfectly, cook it perfectly and then make the best fried mushrooms to go on the side.  You really don’t have to go to a high end restaurant for a great steak, but you do have to cross the bridge… (www.micmacbarandgrill.com)

Finally, I will end with something sweet…  This is an indulgence I only get to have annually as this company is located in BC – Tickleberry’s.  They do offer shipping however; I just choose to only treat myself each year when they attend the Dalplex Christmas Craft Market, which is why they are on my mind since Dalplex is this weekend.  So yes, if you see me eating in my booth, it will probably be Tickleberry’s.  So, you ask, what the heck is/are Tickleberry’s?  The ones I am in love with are their line of Chocolate Covered Dried Fruit – specifically the Strawberries in Milk Chocolate…and appropriately, they are PINK!  I passed them by for a few seasons not knowing what they were and thinking I wouldn’t possibly like them…boy, was I wrong!  Finally, last year they forced me to sample some (I know, tough to be force fed chocolate candy!!) and I was pleasantly surprised.  They are delicious!  I absolutely love fresh chocolate dipped strawberries (probably my most favourite treat ever) and these give me that same taste sensation yet have a much longer shelf life.  Genius, Tickleberry’s!  I heart you and will be visiting your booth first thing on Friday for my fix…along with an extra few bags for the months to come (that’s right, gonna stock up this time…   (www.tickleberrys.com)

Of course there are many other things/places I enjoy but these are the ones I am sharing with you today and hope you will give them a try too…  Happy Eating! 

Hello Cupcake Lovers,

Since I have revived my blog I thought I would share some insight into the behind the scenes of what goes on with running a business.  Yes, there will be lots of cute-sie posts to come with no real substance, just “fun” pics of creations we’ve made…but I also promised this would be a place to give the low down on what it takes to run a business (a successful one, that is)…

Some of you may be aware that I do have a strong business background to begin with.  I have my MBA and have worked for a global research company in my past life.  I helped them build their Halifax location from the ground up so I had experience in “building a business” prior to my Susie’s launch.  And while I have no culinary training, I have developed all of the recipes used at Susie’s (except for the original shortbread recipe which is my mother’s and why I named the business after her).  So while I have been extremely fortunate (and grateful) to have received much media attention since our storefront launch only a little over two years ago, I honestly do know what I am doing when it comes to the business side of things.  You see, this is where and why many small businesses fail.  You may have a great idea, a wonderful product, etc but if you don’t have business sense you will not be able to succeed. 

I get a real chuckle out of the little teen girls that come into my shop and say things like “I want to drop out of school and open a cupcake shop”.  Seriously?  Because all you have to do is make pretty little cupcakes all day in your pretty little shop?  It is all Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows after all…  Never mind the $100k or more you need to even open your doors…or the branding and marketing it takes to bring in customers…or the hiring and managing of employees…or the physically demanding kitchen duties like lifting 20kg bags all day, making hundreds of pounds of buttercream, baking & decorating hundreds and even thousands of cupcakes every day, washing dishes, cleaning, etc, etc…or the mentally exhausting demands of your customers (please don’t read this the wrong way, we LOVE our customers, at least MOST of our customers…but some are not-so-fun to deal with – sure I can make you a life size replica of your dog in one day cuz they did it on Cake Boss…for only $100!! – I mean, come on!)…or the LIFE demands it places on you – this is the hardest one and what separates entrepreneurs from most people.  We GET and ACCEPT that our business is our life.  Sure, we have a “life” outside of our business but not the kind most people can tolerate.  It’s tough knowing you are not always the one tucking your 4-year-old into bed at night…or you are not able to attend family functions or friend’s parties because you have work commitments…or you can’t celebrate your wedding anniversary for a few weeks because it falls in the middle of tradeshow season! 

These are the sacrifices that entrepreneurs make for the sake of building their business so please keep that in mind the next time you may feel a little unhappy about your interaction with any small business.  We all have our limits and we too have to “crack” sometimes…  Please do not interpret this post as whining or complaining…I am just revealing the reality of having your own business and things for you entrepreneur wanna-bes to think about before taking the plunge.  It requires 100% commitment, nothing less or you are doomed to not succeed. 

So, what have I learned so far since opening Susie’s?  Hmmm…I have learned that there are soooo many supportive people out there really rooting for small business to succeed.  People who genuinely care about the well being and growth of your company and continue to support you through it.  I have also learned that there are others out there (mainly what I like to refer to as “internet dwellers”) who are just by their very nature negative people who can only be happy by trying to bring others down.  So I guess the lesson learned is that no matter how hard you try you will never be able to please everyone.  We have never claimed to be perfect as I do not believe such a thing as “perfection” exists.  We do everything the old fashioned way by hand and from time to time human error is bound to come into play (do you bat 1000 every time in every thing you do?).  But rest assured we do our best to make things right when they do go wrong because again, an entrepreneur has their entire life tied into their business, so we CARE! 

Another thing I have learned is that I am never satisfied with status quo.  I like to push the envelope and try to be different in a small city that may not be ready for all that I throw at them (like the Susie’s Mobile – says the old man asking for ice cream)…but that won’t stop me…I will keep on pressing on and hope my customers will continue to support me!

Finally, I have learned that I am a glutton for punishment…because I am about to do it all over again!!!  So, here it is…the big announcement I have been alluding to recently.  We are planning to open a second Susie’s location!  We have found a location and are working on a deal at the moment which we hope to have finalized soon.  The deal is not complete yet and there is always a chance that for some reason it could fall through if we cannot agree to terms so I am not ready to announce the location just yet.  But regardless, we have made the decision that there will be a Susie’s location 2 so it will happen regardless of this deal…it just may take a little longer if everything doesn’t work out this time around.  So I will use my blog to let you “experience” the FUN of opening a retail store along with me.  Be prepared for lots of excitement, cursing and tears to come!  But as tough as I might have made it all sound, I thrive on it!  I’d be bored otherwise!  So stay tuned for more details as the growth continues…