Tens of thousands of cupcakes are being made at the Sugar Bakery in East Haven, Connecticut every year. The family owned and operated sweet shop on Main Street has three generations working there, actually make that four with the great-grandchildren hanging around for fun.

This Italian-American Family understands very hard work and sacrifices. Open about three years, their beginning were oh so humble. They had just a tiny space. They were able to expand to 1,000 square feet and now to 2,000 square feet after buying what was a barber shop next door where the men in the family used to get their hair cut.

This will be the family’s first Christmas with all the new space and they are so excited about how efficient they’ll be able to be with the orders and the in-store business.

They all told me they almost quit, when they just weren’t sure they were going to make it and then there was an explosion in the popularity of cupcakes. They became all the rage at weddings, and bridal and baby showers and anniversaries and birthday parties and that started the phones ringing.

Grandmother, Elizabeth Bertier, and her daughter, Carol Vollono and her daughter, Brenda Deponte are now running a very successful bakery. They hired pasty chefs and have husbands and father-in-laws doing the deliveries.

I am told on Saturday afternoons it is not uncommon to see 1,500 cupcakes go out the door. There are batches coming out of the ovens every half hour all week. They don’t yet have an over night staff, but they’re thinking about it. The frosting recipes are top secret and come in every flavor and color imaginable.

There are cookies too, all kinds, in fact they have 400 different cookie cutters, so let your imagination run wild.

Did somebody say candy? Yes, they can do great candy bars too at your next wedding or shower. When it comes to sweets this is the place.

They will ship their cookies anywhere, but not the cupcakes because they haven’t yet figured out a way to keep them fresh, but they’re working on it. They have had customers drive in from Long Island and Boston to pick up the delectable delights and drive the precious cargo back home.

They are figuring out how to market their name in a wonderful way. You can buy cupcake necklaces, shirts and reusable shopping bags. Oh, and they have a Sugar Bakery Facebook page so they can have an ongoing dialogue with their customers.

The family is also very philanthropic, they give to all kinds of causes. For instance during Breast Cancer Awareness month in October for every cupcake you buy featuring the pink ribbon, they give money furthering research.

They are so grateful that the community is supporting them. They know their customer’s names and try to accommodate them in every way possible. They have a great thing going here, I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future they find themselves with another expansion plan.

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