Frostings Cupcake Boutique Bakes Up A Solid Business Model

With the economy in its current state, many people are thinking twice about starting new businesses. Not Matthew Fraker or Jason Ferrell. The two are baking up a new business the same way they bake their cupcakes: from scratch. They’re currently in the process of opening Frostings Gourmet Cupcake Bakery, in the Short Pump Station […]

April 6, 2009; 3:22 PM • by Trevor Dickerson

Fraker, a high school teacher for several years, got the idea for Frostings after visiting several cupcake boutiques in New York City, including the popular Magnolia Bakery, with a group of friends. “We noticed the prevalence of [cupcake bakeries] there,” Fraker said. “Each seemed to have its niche. We came back and started talking about [starting our own].”

Fraker decided to take the plunge and start his own cupcake business with Ferrell last year. The two began baking cupcakes out of their home ovens and taking orders over the phone and web. Word quickly spread and they soon began thinking about the possibility of opening a storefront. “There was nothing really like this in Richmond at the time,” Fraker explained.

When asked if they were worried about the economy impacting their business, they quickly brushed it off. “[Cupcake bakeries] are a hot concept right now and the business model has withstood the economy,” Fraker said. “It’s a small luxury that makes people happy, and besides, who doesn’t love a cupcake?”

The duo is confident they picked prime real estate for their business, too. “Short Pump is the bullseye of our demographic,” Ferrell said. Their business is targeted towards women and children, both of whom already frequent merchants at Short Pump Station, such as Petco, Five Below and Pizza Fusion. “We were really drawn here because of Trader Joe’s, too. Moms and their kids are always streaming in and out,” Ferrell said. “We knew this is where we wanted to be,” added Fraker.

Though there are already two other cupcake bakeries in Short Pump, Frostings will offer something the other two don’t have: space for parties. The large, open room in the back of the store will offer structured celebrations led by staff for everything from birthdays to baby showers. The owners anticipate this will be offered approximately a month after their grand opening.

When the two accepted orders over the phone and web, they only sold their cupcakes by the dozen. They plan to sell them both individually and by the dozen in the bakery, and will offer eight different flavors to choose from daily.

As construction on the shop winds down, the pair is shooting for a mid-April opening date, and are currently accepting applications for pastry chefs, bakery assistants and cashiers. The application can be filled out on the Frostings website.