We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lizz Allen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lizz, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

In the grand scheme of things I would say yes I am happier as a business owner. With that being said, I have absolutely thought about what it would be like to just have a regular job. Actually that thought had crossed my mind more recently. Being in business for a year has definitely had it’s learning curves. Some wonderful and others that take a toll on a person. For me the tough times come when business is slow. I start to wonder what I did or am doing and will I continue to succeed through the slow patch. It can be an extremely stressful spiral. Then I think about how far I have come. From being pregnant, having cravings spark my passion for baking to being able to open a brick and mortar 11 years later being completely self taught. The joy that it brings me when a customer sees their vision become a reality is amazing. When those customers become regulars, and those regulars become friends and thank me for simply being here it makes those rough days and stressful moments disappear. More than that however the constant support that I have from my family makes me strive to be the best I can be at this for our future!

Lizz, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As a stay-at-home wife and mother, I spent much time in the kitchen. It wasn’t until my husband’s deployment, being pregnant with our third child, cravings kicking in, and cupcake wars being regularly watched that I found my love for baking. Knowing that store-bought cupcakes always tasted too sweet led me to the kitchen to experiment. I found myself feeling excited when the result was satisfying not only to myself but also to others. It was that feeling that made me realize this was not going to be a hobby. That feeling and the unwavering support and encouragement from my amazing Husband, Children, Family, and Friends led to the start of The Sweet Cupfé. After 10 years of The Sweet Cupfé being a successful cottage bakery, I started to dream of the possibility of a brick-and-mortar. During this time, my husband, unable to make a sandwich in our kitchen and to say, “I had to go,” we decided that The Sweet Cupfé had outgrown our home! Next thing you know, endless opportunities came our way, and the dream started to become a reality.

We specialize in various scratch-baked gourmet cupcakes, custom specialty cakes, and sweet treats. Our signature frosting is one of the things that we are known for and sets us apart from others. The creamy texture and just the right amount of sweetness speak for themselves! We also don’t use fondant on our creations but instead model chocolate that we make, earning me the moniker of “Bakestress”! We pride ourselves on using quality ingredients to bring you our signature taste that’s sure to be enjoyable and on providing outstanding customer service. Whether working with you for a special event or simply satisfying your sweet tooth, we want to make sure you know how appreciated you are for choosing The Sweet Cupfé.

We have recently started doing Tea Parties at the bakery and they have been amazing. Especially the Mommy and Me Tea Parties. Seeing the memories being created right in front of us is wonderful. Creating sweet memories for the community one cupcake at a time has turned into our mission.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I came from a customer service background. So for me providing exceptional customer service was very important. In that I mean everything from the attention to detail in all I do to giving each customer my undivided attention from the moment an order has been placed til the time said order has been picked up. I strive to make sure that each customer knows how much I value and appreciate them for choosing me for some of their most important life celebrations. Because of this, the positive feedback and reviews I get from my customers word of mouth has been tremendous in building my reputation within the market.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Going from being a cottage bakery to a brick and mortar has been a wild ride to say the least. There were so many things I didn’t know or expect and the learning curve along the way was a huge one. I am a creative by nature so I find paperwork to be stressful and stifling. This process however made me realize that I need to be just as involved in the back of the house items as much as all the fun stuff in the front of the house. Learning to give each side the time it needs has been a challenge that I continue to work on daily but guess what with each day it gets just a bit less stifling. So in my book I’ll take the little wins along with the big ones.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetcupfe_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSweetCupfe
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-sweet-cupfé-leander?osq=bakery

Image Credits
Aresana Imagery