It is seems like cupcake shops are popping up on all over town and on Thursday morning, the District will welcome one more sweet stop. Sprinkles, the latest cupcake bakery to grace the streets of Georgetown, will open its first D.C. location just three blocks away from the sister-run shop of Georgetown Cupcake.
While Sprinkles’ arrival to the area may seems a little late, husband-and-wife owners Charles and Candace Nelson (who is also a judge on Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”) historically have been ahead of the game. The pair opened the first ever cupcake-only bakery in Beverly Hills six years ago. “We had a plan to take our concept to different places, but as we started growing the market for cupcake bakeries started to proliferate. People looked at what we were doing thought, ‘That’s a great idea’ and were inspired by it,” Candace told Yeas & Nays. The Nelsons, who signed the lease two years ago, say they always planned on moving to the East Coast and had targeted Georgetown.
Recommended Stories
“We love the fact that it’s so close to all of the businesses. It’s a great, solid neighborhood of people who are very loyal to their businesses,” Charles explained.
But will neighboring shops competing for confection affection be a recipe for cupcake wars? The Nelson’s don’t seem to think so.
“It’s not a unique situation for us to be in. Typically what happens when we move into a market is that the market for cupcakes actually grows. We want people to know that we’re here not just here to sell cupcakes but also to be a part of the community and give back,” Candace said.
The Nelsons have donated more than $2 million in cupcakes and cash over the past two years, and say they are still committed to contributing to the community — so much so that the couple planned to donate $25,000 to BabyLove DC at a reception hosted by actress Ali Wentworth at Sprinkles Tuesday night.
Talk about a sweet treat.
