A true art form, teams of designers, bakers and marketing specialists collaborate on everything from classic cupcakes to elaborate wedding cakes of every flavor, shape and size imaginable.
“Cupcakes are a personal dessert, and everyone has their own definition of what it should be,” said Sugarland’s marketing coordinator Hannah Walker. “But people come in here and see more than an ordinary cupcake — it’s like a total revelation.”
Sugarland, which opened in February 2008, has tickled the taste buds of Chapel Hill and turned heads on the Food Network. Students and families, along with the hosts of “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show” and the Food Network’s “Kid in a Candy Store,” have all struggled to decide upon one of their 100 signature cupcakes.
This local business puts as much effort into their cakes as they do into their community. Actively engaged in charity work, Sugarland has partnered with animal shelters, The Red Cross and various student groups to support their causes.
“The reason I do it is because it’s a real privilege to be here — part of this community,” said Sugarland’s owner and executive chef Katrina Ryan.
Bernadette Haubert, a baker and decorator at Sugarland, believes that the cake business is unique.
“My favorite part is meeting people from all over and getting to be part of their lives,” she said. “From engagement cakes, to wedding cakes and their baby’s first birthday cake, we get to be part of it.”
Much newer to the area, Gigi’s Cupcakes opened in September 2013 and has more than enough sweets to share. Gigi’s delights customers with its signature 3-ounce tower of frosting atop each of their 200 different cupcakes.
