A confectioner’s tale

Talented baker refines personal recipe for business that’s now thriving

Take a little bit of determination, mix it with some sugary confections and frost it with faith and you have a bakery business owner who is on the rise. That’s the story of Crystal Watkins, owner of Bake Me a Cake Bakery in Charlotte.

Getting the bakery on its feet wasn’t easy. In fact, it took a little prodding to get Watkins started. “In 2003 I started making boxed lunches, and a friend told me I should start making complimentary desserts with the lunches, so I started putting pound cakes in the lunches,” says Watkins.

Finding out cupcakes were her specialty took some time. “I decided to learn to make cupcakes. I went and bought a whole bunch of cake mixes, then I would sit at home and just bake, and later I would just give them out to people. So then I decided to take some decorating classes to see where I could take this cupcake thing,” says Watkins.

A few years later, friends and family pushed Watkins to pursue opening a bakery, but as the old adage says, timing and preparation are everything. “I met with people at Northlake Mall to show them my product; they gave me a spot for a kiosk; and I just didn’t realize that things would happen that fast, so I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t have any money to move forward, so nothing happened,” says Watkins.

A little bit of luck never hurts

In just a few months, Watkins says she realized she had discovered her fate. “At the suggestion of a friend, I went to this bakery in north Charlotte so see about selling my cupcakes there, and it was closed. I called the number in the window and the man presented me with an offer I couldn’t refuse. He offered to let me lease the place, with several months rent free, giving me the opportunity to open the bakery and do it on my own. It’s funny how things happened because I still didn’t have any money, but he said just make it happen. So I went in there, and the rest is history; I’ve been open a little over a year.”

That wasn’t the only icing on Watkins’ cake; a second chance surfaced from a prior opportunity. Watkins says, “I was able to get back into Northlake Mall and open that kiosk. Someone gave me a donation to get the spot, and I’ve been there since February. It’s been great advertisement for my business.”

The bakery owner isn’t doing it all alone; she has a support staff backing her so she can properly cater to the public’s sweet tooth. The bakery has a full staff, with graduates from Johnson & Wales University’s prestigious culinary arts program. “I’ve been really fortunate to get some talented people from the school,” says Watkins.

Bake Me a Cake’s desserts boast all-natural ingredients made from scratch. At the bakery, you will find customized cakes, cupcakes of all flavors, cake pops and pies. Customer favorites include banana pudding, and red velvet and strawberry cupcakes.

Longtime struggles yield delicious results

Watkins imparts this one piece of wisdom for those trying to move toward their goals:

“Never give up; failure is not an option. I wanted to quit so many times and God just wouldn’t let me. I’m so glad I didn’t quit. I struggled for a long time, but it was so worth it.”

For more information on Bake Me a Cake Bakery, visit http://bake-me-a-cake-charlotte.com.