You can do a lot worse than an explosion in cupcakes, the handheld treats that seem to be everywhere.
Cupcake-only stores have popped up across the country in the past few years.
Now — some might say finally — Snohomish County is getting in on the action.
Simply Sweet Cupcakes opened its doors on First Street in Snohomish on Thursday. Owners Emily Cassidy and Tracy Stocker plan to cater to walk-in customers and wedding parties with their pastel-toned snacks.
“It’s chic, it’s trendy,” Stocker said.
Simply Sweet appears to be the first cupcake-only store in Snohomish County. It probably won’t be the last, as the cupcake boom moves into more suburbs.
A Lake Stevens couple is also considering opening a storefront in Snohomish for their Internet-based cupcake business, BiteMeCupcakes.net.
“It remains a luxury item, yet (it’s) cost-effective,” said owner Jason Huntley, 32. “Even with the economy how it is, everyone needs to or wants to celebrate.”
Most trace the newfound popularity in cupcakes back to an episode of “Sex and the City” that featured the treat. After it aired in 2000, cupcake-only stores started dotting New York City and Los Angeles.
The boutique eateries reached a tipping point in the past year as they moved further into the suburbs, Brooklyn-based cupcake blogger Nichelle Stephens said.
“We don’t hear as much about cupcake businesses closing as we hear about them opening,” Stephens said.
Two of the top three baking books on Amazon.com are dedicated to the dessert. The Food Network plans to premiere the show “Cupcake Wars” this month. McDonald’s even added New York-style cupcakes to its menu in Germany.
Stephens co-founded CupcakesTakeTheCake.blogspot.com, which attracts about 11,000 visitors a day. She sees cupcakes as part of a larger trend in specialty foods. That movement has led to places such as Frost, a Mill Creek doughnut shop that sprinkles bacon on its maple bars.
Elaborate creations won’t find their way into the display case at Simply Sweet Cupcakes, however. Like the name implies, the Snohomish store will keep things simple.
Stocker, 50, teamed up with Cassidy, 22, to open the store after Cassidy graduated from Washington State University. The two women, who play off each other like a mother and daughter, wanted to start a business in the wedding industry.
Stocker also owns Hidden Meadows, a Snohomish banquet facility. She noticed cupcakes were replacing wedding cakes for some couples.
The two women turned to old family recipes and cookbooks to concoct a menu of about a dozen cupcakes.
Some have simple white cake with chocolate frosting. Others use carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting. Prices range from $1.25 for mini-cupcakes to $2.75 for specialty items.
Their store, with its wrought-iron chairs and pink-and-brown decor, started attracting customers minutes after opening Thursday.
Susan Fisher was one of the first. She summed up the appeal of cupcakes in two words.
“Portion control,” she said.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455; arathbun@heraldnet.com
New shop
Simply Sweet Cupcakes, 1206 1/2 First St. in Snohomish, is open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. It will celebrate its grand opening this Saturday.
Learn more at www. simplysweetcupcakes.com or call 360-568-8600.
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