Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Schneider
Hi Lori, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Cupcake Bar was founded by Lori Schneider in 2007 as a fully customizable and interactive dessert experience. At the time, Lori owned a small, boutique catering company and the concept for a customized cupcake bar came from an event she catered for one of her clients. The bar was a hit with guests, and the concept for The Cupcake Bar was born. With our original Cupcake Bar service, event guests choose their cupcake flavor, filling, icing, and fun toppings. Our Cupcake Bartenders assemble and serve each custom treat on the spot. In the Fall of 2012, we expanded our dessert offerings when we launched the Caramel Apple Bar. Since then, we’ve added other sweet treats to our lineup: The Doughnut Bar, the Candy Bar, the Roaming Treats Bar, and more. In 2014, we established our first retail location.
In 2016, we hired our first full-time employee, established The Cupcake Bar Gives Back program, and Lori served as the President of the International Live Events Association’s (ILEA’s) Austin chapter–and won the International Chapter of the Year! Prior to COVID, about 95% of our business came from our clients who hired us for their commercial or private events, such as corporate parties, weddings, and other celebrations. Since COVID, we’ve adapted our products and services to continue bringing joy to folks in the age of social distancing and virtual events. We now offer custom branding and curated gifting options, virtual cupcake decorating classes, pickup and delivery of sweet treats, and more. Since our company’s inception, we’ve held strong to our belief in the power of connection and community. We work with all of our clients to design an experience that fully captures the spirit of their event and we’re always honored to help them celebrate and share important moments with their loved ones.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
March of 2018 brought a major challenge when the roof of our retail shop collapsed in an overnight rainstorm. The devastation resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of dollars in product, halted our cash flow, and left us without a space to operate. The building was condemned, and we weren’t sure whether we’d be able to recover anything that had been inside. We had an event scheduled for that day in Dallas, and we still managed to make it. In fact, thanks to our amazing team and support network, we didn’t have to cancel a single booked event due to the collapse. In our efforts to rebuild our shop and our business, we learned some valuable lessons that have helped us tackle difficulties that have since come our way. As a general practice, we rely on strong operational systems and processes to manage our workflow, and those came in handy as we rebuilt our business in the aftermath of the collapse. We leaned heavily on checklists we had already developed, but we weren’t afraid to ask for help when we needed it.
And although we shed many tears in the following months, we eventually learned to adopt a mindset of viewing every challenge as an opportunity. Were it not for the incredible support from our events community, we wouldn’t have been able to get back on our feet after the roof collapse. But we were all collectively dealt a major blow in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of our peers lost their jobs, and the events and hospitality industry as a whole still faces long-term uncertainty. As we grappled with the collapse of the events industry as we knew it, we again were faced with many of the same challenges we had seen in 2018. Because all events for the foreseeable future were cancelled, our cash flow stopped–and we weren’t sure if we would financially survive. So we started doing everything we could–even saying “yes” to things we swore we’d never do–just to stay afloat. We took things day by day, and eventually were able to find ways to establish several new revenue streams, including custom corporate gifting, virtual classes, and pickup/delivery options. By year’s end, we had added a second location to help us manage our orders.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Cupcake Bar. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Cupcake Bar is part treat and part trick—a blend of entertainment and indulgence that adds a special touch to any virtual or in-person wedding, corporate event, or social celebration. Based in Austin, TX we love to think outside the bakery box and customize our unique services to fulfill your sweet needs! Recently, we have added in our delivery and take out option, virtual classes and customized gift boxes— many of which do not even include cupcakes.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Starting a small business is a risk in and of itself, and there’s an element of risk inherent in every decision you make when running a company. Therefore, as a business owner, I tend to think of risk in multiple terms. I know that I’m responsible for our company’s financial health, but I’m also responsible for the livelihoods of our staff members and their families. Calculating risk is never a linear decision for me; I always try to consider all the pieces that come into play when making a decision involving a high level of risk. And even though risk-tasking is an essential part of business ownership, at times it can feel overwhelming and scary. It can be easy to get bogged down in the never ending “what-ifs,” so sometimes it’s okay to keep your eye on your North Star and ignore the fact that the odds can sometimes be stacked against you.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@thecupcakebar.com
- Website: https://www.thecupcakebar.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecupcakebar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecupcakebar
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thecupcakebar_
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cupcake-bar-austin
Image Credits
Nitya Jain Photography
Brittany Jean Photography
