Starting the Cupcake Station from Scratch

The first Cupcake Station opened in August of 2006.  But its origins began much further back. 

Ever since he was a child, Cupcake Station founder Kerry Johnson had always dreamed of running a bakery.  However, the demands and time constraints of running a successful landscape business forced him to put that idea on hold for 20 years. 

The desire and passion remained and finally, in the spring of 2006, he decided to act on his dream.  He recruited his friend, Tom Holleman, and his favorite waitress from a nearby restaurant, and began working on recipes in his kitchen. 

The Cupcake Station found immediate success selling their baked goods at local art fairs and, after receiving many catering requests, it soon became clear that they needed a permanent location.  So, almost 6 months from the day of inception, the first Cupcake Station opened its doors in the perfect storefront in downtown Birmingham, Michigan.  The Cupcake Station was the first dedicated cupcake bakery in Michigan.

From the beginning, they insisted on using the very best ingredients they could find like pure vanilla beans, rich creamery butter, the finest cocoa and chocolates, whole milk and farm fresh eggs. Unlike other cupcake bakeries that rely on manufactured mixes, the Cupcake Station is proud to say they bake all of their flavors, from scratch, every day.  It’s the driving force behind their philosophy, 100% Scratch Every Batch®.

“We believe that is one of the secrets of our success.” says Kerry Johnson. “Baking from scratch allows us to create a limitless variety of flavors and, most importantly, it provides the rich home-made goodness that cannot be accomplished any other way. We often hear our customers say, that was the best cupcake I’ve ever had!”

The warm, inviting atmosphere, the quality ingredients, the smell of freshly baked cupcakes and the incredible variety of flavors they bake every day made the Cupcake Station stand out from other bakeries.

In 2008 a second location was opened in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan, the home of the University of Michigan, the world-renowned U of M Hospital, and countless research and high-tech industries.  It turned out to be another successful location.  In no time, the new bakery became a popular spot for students, faculty, business people and out-of-town visitors.

In 2010, they decided that the success of the Cupcake Station was something they wanted to share, so Kerry and Tom decided to take the next step and franchise.  Although each Cupcake Station franchise is intended to be independently run, franchisees can expect to be backed by the corporate office through extensive training, creative marketing, and first rate support in all areas of the cupcake business.  The owners of the Cupcake Station want franchisees to be as successful as they have been and will do everything they can to make it happen!