Misstropolis

Monday, June 09, 2008

Who Doesn’t Love a Cupcake?

by Annie Copps

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Courtney Forrester is living the sweet life.

Men in suits. Families with strollers. Students with backpacks. They all file in to Sweet, a boutique cupcake shop in the Back Bay. Some stop in for a single perfect cupcake that they pop into their mouths before getting their change back. Others for boxes of four, six, eight or several dozen. Others, still, are making special orders for custom towers of cupcakes with monograms and filigreed edges, or perhaps a Red Sox or Celtics logo. The phone is ringing and Willie Wonka is playing on a flat screen television and owner Courtney Forrester is all smiles and impeccable style.

Most people know Courtney by face - when the party pics come out in the various Boston media outlets, nine times out of 10 Courtney is among the celebrities and philanthropists being covered. If she didn’t organize the event, she was certainly on the guest list - one would be hard pressed to find a more gracious host or guest for any event.

With nary a hair out of place, nor a dark circle marring her flawless complexion, after one week in business she says, “we’re still working out a few kinks. Everything is made from scratch, but we have a great team and the ingredients are the best.” If there are flaws in executive pastry chef Jennifer Warshaw’s vanilla, chocolate, carrot, lemon or cappuccino cupcakes, few are noticing. People just want more.

Cupcakes are certainly a trend, but Courtney opened Sweet, because of her own affection for these confections. “Whenever we entertained, I’d go in search of cupcakes - they’re such a great dessert. I found some that I liked, but most of the time I ended up experimenting with flavors and then decorating and making my own and, well, you know, guests would say ‘these are great - you should start a business.’ And sure, cupcakes are a trend right now, but people were eating and loving them before and they’ll love them down the road. Who doesn’t love a cupcake?”

She considered more than a few locations for her boutique with custom wallpaper in shades of cream and soft pinks. But in the end the Back Bay resident chose her own neighborhood. “I love seeing my neighbors here. We are doing a lot of birthday party business. The children and the parents are really having fun with them.”

While Courtney wants you to come to her shop, she’ll make sure you get her cupcakes even if you aren’t in her neck of the woods. “We started off with delivery service. If you are having 12 six-year-olds to your house for your child’s birthday party, I fully understand that picking up the cupcakes can be daunting,” she says. That goes for office parties, weddings, and moments of cupcake cravings, too.

Her first day, she sold out. “We didn’t make a big announcement, but I figured friends would come by. They did, but most of the people coming in and calling are new to me.” As Courtney speaks, three young women walk by the glass window past the shop; 30 seconds later they turn around and are in line. With an ear to ear grin, she notes, “that happens a lot.”

Sweet, 49 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, 617-247-CAKE. sweetcupcakes.com