John Barrette / Nevada Appeal
Cupcakes and coffee rule the roost at Carson Cupcakes on East William Street, a mom-and-pop shop in business two weeks and planning a grand opening Saturday.
Jesika Yochum, the proprietor, said she was a hairstylist until late last year but saw an entrepreneurial opportunity in the community.
“Everything we sell here is made here,” she said.
“From scratch,” said her husband, Dave, who helps by handling some of the financial load but has a day job as a welder. He works farther east on the same road at A-L Sierra Welding Products, 4443 U.S. Highway 50, after William morphs into Highway 50. Their shop is at 1800 E. William St., No. 7., in a 1,500-square-foot unit.
“I’m too blessed to be stressed,” the new businesswoman told a customer who asked how things were going.
In just a couple of weeks, social media and a sandwich sign on East William have gotten customers in the door, she said, adding, “It’s been awesome.”
“We’re probably getting 20 ‘likes’ a day,” she explained, crediting Facebook and happy customers for spreading the word on the cupcakes she makes.
Dave and Jesika Yochum, married about a year, say cupcakes are in vogue and they have the lone cupcakes-dedicated bakery in the city. There are other bakeries and outlets with cupcakes, but they aren’t hawking the popular item exclusively.
Family-oriented TV channels and shows featuring food have boosted cupcakes’ popularity, the couple said.
Jesika also cited “portion control” due to the smaller size of such baked goods, the variety of options, the fun of special-events food or just the joy of taking them to friends and office colleagues.
She offers a classic margarita cupcake, another she calls French toast maple bacon, and cherry pie cupcakes that look like little cherry pies. She also offers raspberry-lemonade, choco-chocolate and choco-banana, among others.
While cupcakes and coffee are the main fare, she offers “pop-cakes” and said the store will branch out with wedding cakes or other bakery items for special events to take off-site.
At Saturday’s 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. grand opening, she said, the plan is to have raffles, perhaps hourly, for free cupcakes that people can pick up on a subsequent day if they win. She and her husband look forward with hope to growing the business from there.
“I love doing hair,” said Jesika, “but I saw a niche. My husband said, ‘You’re going to be the first’” in Carson City.