Posts

Monday through Thursday 11:00 am until 7:00 pm
Friday and Saturday 11:00 am until 9:00 pm
Sunday 12 noon until 5:00pm

617-247-CAKE (2253)
orders@sweetcupcakes.com

Jenn and I made a point to stop in at "Sweet" today. It's a small... what? Actually, I don't know what to call it. Well then. what do they do? They sell designer (i.e. pretty) cupcakes out of a small store front. So I suppose you would call it a 'cupcake boutique'.

OK, let's start over... today I stopped by "Sweet" a cupcake boutique which opened very recently in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood.

First impressions

The store itself is nicely done overall. It's very simple but certainly not plain. I would say, equal parts cute and fancy but not pretentious. It's definitely a little 'girly', but not so much so that I felt out of place. The actual facade of the store is almost barren. There's not even a sign at the moment and as a result the place is easy to walk right past.

The address is 49 Massachusetts Avenue, between Marlborough Street and Commonwealth Avenue. It's very close to "India Samraat" which you can't miss. If you're approaching from Marlborough Street and you get to India Samraat you've just passed it. From Commonwealth you're almost there.

There are a few tables inside at the front with chairs on one side and a long pink upholstered bench on the other. Otherwise, there's the display case and counter, a register, and menu on the wall behind the employees. Oddly, there's also a large flat panel TV on the back wall, which I assume is for the benefit of staff, or possibly people waiting in line. It seems somewhat in appropriate for the space, but that's a minor point.

The staff were friendly and attentive to customers, which is surprisingly rare even at small cafes in the city. The website promises:

Every member of the Sweet Staff is passionate about our products and service. Whether you are ordering via email or over the phone, visiting the store to take out or to enjoy a drink and a cupcake right there, the Sweet team is committed to making your experience a fun and fabulous one!

I don't have any reason to doubt the sentiment based on my first visit.

They apparently have drinks (from the quote 'enjoy a drink and a cupcake...') but I don't remember seeing any on the menu in the store and there's no other mention of them on the website.

The Cupcakes

OK, so obviously the big question is, "What about the cupcakes?"

First impression is that they all look wonderful. There is nothing sloppy about the presentation here. All of the cupcakes are decorated, with frosting and small editable adornments, but not excessively so.

If I remember correctly, there were several varieties to choose from. The online menu lists

• The Sweet Cake
• Dark Chocolate
• Organic Karat
• Lemon
• Cappuccino

and promises seasonable and specialty choices as well.

Price

These are designer cupcakes with a price tag to match. If I had to describe them as large or small it would be easy to say that's they're on the small side. Probably smaller than you'd make at home but they are certainly big enough to get the job done.

Prices are $3.25 for one, and $12.50 for four (a .50 discount over the individual price). The website reads:

Whether you are hosting a birthday party for 10, an office party for 50, a playdate for 12 or a wedding for 300, Sweet will create custom cupcakes with flavors, frostings and decorations baked to order.

I would guess that there are quantity discounts available, but also might expect to pay something extra for custom orders. Certainly, $3.25 for a cupcake isn't cheap.

Taste

So how to they taste?

If I had to describe them in only one word, it would be potent (which beats both decadent and rich by a wide margin). If I were to add in adjective to the name of the business, I'd pick 'brutally', as in "Brutally Sweet".

First, I'll say that I'm someone who eats a lot of candy and other sweets. I regularly eat candy that I'm sure most people haven't touched since they were kids. Having said that, the lemon cupcake I had could be one of the sweetest things I've ever eaten.

The frosting, which is described as 'signature Sweet frosting infused with lemon' is incredibly so sweet. It really makes you wonder if it's somehow unsafe to eat. It was so sugary that diabetics should be warned not to walk within a block of the store. In my opinion it's safe to say 'too sweet' when you pay $3.25 for a cupcake and scrape off more than half of the frosting.

The cake itself was nice... very soft and spongy, but there is also a pleasant denseness about it as well. Unfortunately some may think it tastes almost processed because of the 'spongyness'.

I can honestly say I've never had a cupcake quite like it. I'd describe it as a weapons-grades. Really, be careful everyone!

Final thoughts

First of all I want to say that I do want Sweet to be successful. I live in Boston and these types of quirky little places enhance the character of the city by blending together to define the experience of living here. Boston is famously a 'walking-city' (the MBTA is working hard to ensure that the city maintains that reputation with their service which is piss-poor as ever) and I love the idea of walking to the Back Bay to visit Sweet. So I do wish them well and recommend that everyone who likes this sort of thing (this sort of thing = cupcakes) give it a try.

Unfortunately, I'm a little nervous for them. Ask adults how many cupcakes they eat in a week, or a month, or a year and I don't think you're likely to be motivated to start a cupcake boutique based on the answers you get in return. I might agree that cupcakes are under appreciated, but regardless it doesn't bode will for a all cupcake establishment. What's more, $3.25 is probably too expensive, and the taste too overwhelming to make part one's routine. And I worry that Sweet is too easily forgotten about. They're willingness to take on custom, large orders is a plus but it maybe difficult to sell the idea of cupcakes, and only cupcakes, for an event. Though maybe for a birthday party or something similar as an alternative to a cake... it might work well.

Also, Sweet might be a good dessert option for a date or after a dinner, as an alternative to Finale. The hours may not be right for that...

Monday through Thursday 11:00 am until 7:00 pm
Friday and Saturday 11:00 am until 9:00 pm
Sunday 12 noon until 5:00pm

...though they are fairly generous. For example, it's nice that they're open 7 days a week. It would be a shame to see them reduce the hours of the store front in favor of spending their efforts fulfilling larger orders over the phone.

My advice

They should push the drinks, especially coffee drinks and the like. Coffee would help to cut the sweetness a little. And combinations, e.g. a drink and a cupcake for $4.00, may take the edge off of the price.

The place is really too small to accommodate many people eating in the store like a proper cafe, which is a shame. It might be a nice touch to recommend places to eat outside which are within walking distance - even going so far as to produce maps.

Reduce the amount of frosting used. I'd also like to see the cake itself made a little larger but if that's not possible at least reduce amount of frosting... it's too much, really. The designs would be just as effective and the the taste better balanced with less.

Build on the website. All of the basic information is already there (phone numbers, hours of operation, contact and ordering information) but asking people to blindly call or email order requests probably isn't the best way to go. Why not let customers build, submit and pay for their order online. It's not hard to do. I understand that custom orders are better handled directly, but ordering items off the standard menu should be possible.

Don't be afraid to expand online. If there is some chance that the customer base may visit only infrequently then the solution is to expand the customer base.

Marketing and promotion will be key. The mailing list is a good start. It's a smart idea to use the mailing list to announce new seasonal items, promotions, and other relevant information. Of course, you don't want to overboard with it.

Push the idea about what a cupcake can be. I'm trying really hard not to suggest expanding to idea to include something other than cupcakes because I understand that cupcakes are the brand. Still introducing creative new menu items that redefine, at least a little bit, what you can make and still call a cupcake will be critical long term.

Welcome Sweet and best of luck.