Cunningham, along with Samuel Whitfield III, is co-founder of Curbside Cupcakes — a mobile cupcake vendor that sells baked goods throughout the D.C. metro area from the window of a hot-pink truck.
When did you realize D.C. was lacking a cupcake truck?
It all started with a frustration Sam had when he and some co-workers thought it would be fun to get cupcakes but no one felt like schlepping anywhere and he thought, “Gosh, cupcakes should come to us.”
How did your idea materialize?
The more we talked about it, the more it started to gel in our mind and we looked into the regulations. We found a truck online and we flew to Florida and drove it back, and we got workers to transform it into the Pink Cupcake Cruiser.
How do you and Sam know each other?
Sam and I met last year and we got engaged in November — the same month we launched the business.
Do you drive the truck?
Yes. We felt like we needed to know every aspect of our business. In this first year, no one will take care of your business like you do.
How many cupcakes do you deliver daily?
On the street, we usually have between 300 and 600 on the truck. We stay out there until we’re out of cupcakes. We have delivered everything from six dozen to 2,000 cupcakes.
Where do you bake?
In a commercial kitchen. People always peek inside the truck to see if we bake them in the truck. We wish we could bake in there.
Where are your hot spots?
We have a few: McPherson Square, Franklin Square, Federal Center. 12th and G sold us out in one stop the other day. Customers stood in line for half an hour — some of them longer.
Will there be cupcakes at the wedding?
There have to be. – Hayley Peterson
