The Wicked Sweet Sugar Boutique

Bespoke retail bakery looking to open in historic Ybor city, FL. Looking for funding for build out, supplies, and payroll to start

I started in 2010 as a homestead bakery, and have only been growing since. I went to school at the University of Tampa and have spent the past 15 years trying to get back down to FL and out of NH, where I was born and raised. I started my bakery from home, working multiple jobs, and just getting my feet wet. 

In 2013 I opened my first retail location, with less than 700 sq feet. We tried our best to be open to foot traffic, but it was a hard demographic to harness and foot traffic just doesn't really exist in towns like Hampton, NH. 

In early 2018, we took over the 1000 sq foot office above the bakery, to expand out my office, storage, and a classroom to pull in extra income during slow months. It also gave us the ability to focus on wedding consults and appear to be more professional. When we finished that area out, we focused our attention back on the storefront downstairs. We created a wall to clearly separate front of house and back of house, and gave the front of house a much-needed facelift. Sufficed to say, custom orders and wedding orders kept us going! During slower winter months, we would limit our store hours and cut back on payroll where we could, so we weren't throwing so much out.

In early 2020, we decided a bigger location was needed, one that was totally our own, and with better visibility from the main road. We moved down the road to a 2100 square foot spot. We had to completely build out walls, put in more electrical and plumbing, but we made the spot completely ours. Unfortunately, COVID hit, limiting what we could actually do, as well as our timeline to do it. We had to great creative! Offering a self-serve pop-up at the entrance of our bakery was the answer. Customers could wear their mask and come and shop outside for whatever their heart desired, and pay with Venmo. Completely contactless, and completely popular! We could hardly keep up, it was amazing. We focused on DIY activities for kids and parents alike, and when we finally were able to open the store in July, it blew up! We had to focus on staff, and stocking the place consistently. I was flying by the seat of my pants, and just learning every lesson along the way; but we always made it work.

COVID affected custom orders thanks to limiting birthday parties and really hurting the wedding industry. Although we still found ways to pull in money, the real money makers weren't happening, and people still didn't feel comfortable leaving their house too much. It also meant we couldn't hold classes, which was absolutely heartbreaking to me. 

In early 2022, things started to open back up. Wedding consults went back up, and birthdays were filling the calendars. It was clear the world was 'over it' in terms of COVID. Unfortunately, we got hit with the next big blow, staffing-shortages. We had been able to 'get small' anytime business slowed down, but what about now, that business is booming? I can't do this all alone! We doubled down. My fiancé and I decided this was the year to make or break us. We're going to offer more money, and find 'A-players' to join our team. We found a Full time front of house, back of house, a cake decorator, as well as several part time cashiers to rotate. It was perfect! But when the day came for my FT front end to start, she dissappeared. And then my Back of house FT intern quit with no notice, saying it wasn't the style of bakery he wanted to pursue. I was devastated again. We worked so hard to get to this point, and now we've got this big beautiful bakery, and we don't have the staff to support it.

I kept my cake decorator on for as long as possible, but she wasn't experienced enough to help with wedding orders, so that only lasted a couple of months before I had to let her go. My fiancé and I claimed defeat in terms of the NH storefront, but decided it was time to move to FL and get out of the New England Winters!

We finished out the year with tears from customers, and have been able to keep my promising of still being available to ship goodies 'back home,' but my heart is back in the store.

We found a beautiful location in Historic Ybor, and the landlord is excited for a high-end bakery to move in. The only real competition that exists is at-home bakeries and franchises, such as crumble cookie, and insomnia cookie; which don't offer what I offer, either.  We need some working capital to push past all the start-up fees, initial payroll costs, and initial build out costs, since it is currently just a 'vanilla shell'. This location not only is the epitome of foot-traffic, it caters to all demographics. We are a short street-car ride up from the Cruise port, giving an average of 3-4 cruise ships per week, we are a few miles down the road from USF Tampa and University of Tampa. There is a thriving day time and night time customer presscence here, which will allow us to stay open later, as well as being in FL, so open year round! It is also located right on 7th Avenue in Ybor, which is where all the parades and celebrations happen. Gasparilla Knight parade, the pride parade, and MANY many others!

I want this location to be where women and children come to sit down and have a delicious cupcake or French macaron. Where they come while their boyfriend or husband is next door smoking a cigar at the many cigar bars on the strip. Where college kids come because they have to take an instagram picture on our teal velvet couch. 

I can see this becoming a franchise, and I know what to do to make it happen. I just need YOU to help finance to get my dream team in here and getting started on building it asap! You can see my portfolio on my website www.thewssugarboutique.com. We're unofficially going through a re-branding to match the decor of Historic Ybor a bit more.

Thank you for your consideration and Have a Wicked Sweet Day!
Danielle Thibodeau
The Wicked Sweet Sugar Boutique