We’re Opening a Store! We need your help to purchase equipment and construct our new kitchen.
Project Description
We're Growing!
We've been super busy baking up delicious, vegan cupcakes from scratch. In the year since our inception we have gone from small local farmer's markets to selling our cupcakes wholesale at local cafes. More and more people are placing weekly orders and one café sells out of our treats almost every week! In fact we've outgrown our shared kitchen space trying to keep up with the demand. We are forever grateful to our friends at LaBelle Aurore in Niantic, CT for helping our fledgling business get off the ground, but it's time to move into our very own store! "Dutch's" will be filled with fresh baked treats and we will continue our made to order custom creations.
Humble Beginnings
We were very successful with our local farmer's markets last season, selling out most days. When not at the market, we continue to fill special orders weekly. All thanks to our loyal customers. Our delicious, specialty treats are even selling out each week at Cafe Otis in Norwich, CT! But, the one question we get asked the most is...
"When are you opening a store? ". We understand that our customers want to be able to stop in whenever they feel like a quick treat. With a location of our own we will have a chance to meet and interact with you all year long. We will continue to make all of our cupcakes from scratch in small batches to provide consistent quality with every order. We're building an inviting, trendy cafe, perfect for meeting up with friends and hanging out. A bigger kitchen and better equipment will allow us to start whipping up new and delicious creations for you to enjoy and we can also roll out our newest menu item...vegan MILKSHAKES!! Hand crafted vegan shakes, made with vegan soft serve, dairy free milk and homemade syrups, sauces and toppings. Dutch's will also start offering online orders to streamline our wholesale purchases and make everyday café pick up quick and easy.
Dutch's Mission
Our mission at Dutch's has always been to expand and offer even more delicious and convenient vegan food option to our community and fill a gap in the current landscape. Vegan food is on the rise and this is not a trend. While some businesses are beginning to stock vegan offerings, they usually have only 1 or 2 options. Dutch's currently has over 20 cupcake flavors on our menu. With more space we can continue to experiment and bring you more fun treats. Now that we've shown people cupcakes can be sinfully indulgent without the use of animal products, we want to add the convenience of our very own store front.
Community
We love our community and we want to be a part of the evolution of food while helping you rethink what options are available to you. Meeting people, talking and answering questions is what we live for. The love and support we've received so far has been mind blowing and we cant wait to do more. One of the main reasons Dutch's chooses a vegan lifestyle is to protect animals and the planet we share with them. While building our shop we are keeping that same mind set and utilizing eco-concious products for packaging and design. We want to contribute to the beautification of our neighborhoods and local communities. With a little help from a lot of people, we can expand our brand to reach further. We want you to feel good about what you eat.
Risks and challenges
Every great business venture involves some risk. I feel I am very well prepared because of my years of experience in the food service industry. Everything from waitressing to cooking to bookkeeping. I have over 20 years under my belt to handle the hustle and bustle of preparing and serving food. I've utilized many resources to properly guide me on my journey to entrepreneurship. Most invaluable has been my business advisor Matt from the CT Small Business Development Center (SBDC). He has successfully assisted in the opening of over 50 food based businesses and his tutelage and guidance has been my greatest gift. I believe slow and steady wins the race. So my goal is to expand Dutch's without going "too big, too soon". A consistent quality product is always my first priority. My focus for successful business will be proper financial management, well developed marketing strategies, building a strong team, superior customer service and continuously looking for opportunities to improve. Our biggest challenge will be attracting non vegan customers. To overcome that challenge we plan to have as much face to face contact as possible. I believe that most people are open to listen and try something new once even a small amount of trust is established. If we can be on hand to answer questions about ingredients or preparation it will help them gain a better understanding and be less fearful of eating something new. It only takes one bite to be hooked.
"Honestly I cannot explain how amazing these cupcakes are! Tiffany made us a special cupcake for my daughter vanilla cupcake, "nutella" filling and banana frosting. I dont like vanilla cupcakes and i don't like banana flavor. But I LOVEDDD these cupcakes. I had to stop myself from eating all of my daughter's cupcakes. We also had the triple chocolate peanut butter which was also amazing. Do yourself a favor and trust Dutch's with all of your cupcake needs in the future you won't be disappointed!" -Breanna Haskins
"The most AMAZING cupcakes your taste buds will ever experience!! FINALLY a VEGAN OPTION?!!!" -Tina Brown
Updates
The Project FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
The first 10 people to donate $25 will get 1 (one) dozen cupcakes of their choice. You can even split it up 6 and 6 and get 2 flavors!!! We will also shout you out on our social media pages, send you email updates, AND include you on our donor list on our website. You will get a coupon emailed to you.
Just Because I Care
Ten bucks can buy some sweet bakery supplies! For your contribution you will receive a personal shout out on our social media pages, email updates to stay in the loop and a hand written thank you note from me to you!
The Dirty (half) Dozen
Eat one cupcake every day for six whole days or share with five of your closest friends. Or if you wanna be a rock star, keep them all to yourself because you freaking deserve it! We will email you a coupon for a half dozen of your chosen flavor. You'll also get a personal shout out on our social media pages, and email updates.
Plastic bags are for trash. We'll send you a "Dutch's" canvas tote bag to carry all your precious cargo. Or use it to carry home the free dozen cupcakes you're getting for being an awesome person. We'll also send you a super comfy "Dutch's" t-shirt to lounge around in. Cupcakes are pick up only. We'll ship your tote bag and t-shirt. Get them before they're gone.
First of all, WOW! To thank you for your amazing support, you get 2 dozen free cupcakes in 2 flavors of your choice. We'll also send you a hand written thank you note, shout you out on our social media pages, and include you on our donor list on our website.
Enjoy brunch for 2 at one of our favorite local eateries, LaBelle Aurore in Niantic, CT. An American bistro serving fresh, farm to table food. They have gluten free and vegan options available. Your meal will include a special cupcake dessert from Dutch's. You'll receive a coupon via email. We'll also send you a hand written thank you note, shout you out on our social media pages, and include you on our donor list on our website.
You'll be a hero to your co-workers or loved ones. 4 dozen cupcakes delivered to your home or office. Mix and match up to 3 flavors per dozen. We'll also send you a hand written thank you note, shout you out on our social media pages, and include you on our donor list on our website.
Incredible! Our sincerest thanks! We want to meet you in person. Bring 2 of your friends and lets create some magic. In return for your thoughtful donation, we want to teach you some trade secrets. A baking class for up to 3 people, including 6 cupcakes each to take home. We'll post pictures on our social media pages and list you as a backer on our website. You'll each get a "Dutch's" t-shirt when you arrive.
Contribute more than just dollars. We want to hear your ideas for funky fun flavors and designs. You get to work with us to create your very own cupcake flavor. We'll even name it after you and list it on our menu online, plus you'll get a dozen of those bad boys for you to enjoy! Add in a free t-shirt and tote bag too. We'll also send you a hand written thank you note, shout you out on our social media pages, and include you on our donor list on our website.
Put on your party clothes and join us for our invite only soft opening. We will be opening our doors for the very first time and we want to share that day with you, our most generous backers! There will be music, fun and of course CUPCAKES! Come and share in all the fun and excitement that YOU made possible.
I think we did. Ok bestie, here's how we show our love. First, you get to design your own cupcake flavor to be listed in our store and on our website's menu. Then we're going to send you a "Dutch's" t-shirt and tote bag. Wear that shirt for our photo op together...TWINSIES!!!! Because I'm hand delivering you 1 dozen free cupcakes of your choice. Not a local? That's ok, we'll ship the cupcakes to you and give you a call to personally thank you. Of course we'll make a big ol' deal on your birthday every year, because that's what BFFs do. You'll get a birthday shout out on our social media pages and your cupcake creation will be the special promoted for the whole month! It doesn't end there! To celebrate this new found friendship we will also send you an email coupon for 1 free cupcake a month to use at our store location for 1 whole year! Because "That's What Friends Are For".
Ok, I'm beginning to think you really love us! So I'm going to return the love with a private event at our store for you and 25 of your friends and family to include cupcakes for all. Want to design your own cupcake flavors for the event? You got it! It's your world, I'm just livin in it. Of course we'll splatter our social media pages gushing over you and your generosity, because, I mean WOW. If you're feeling generous but don't live nearby, we'll ship you 1 free dozen cupcakes every month for 1 year and we'll donate your private event to a local charity or cause In our area on your behalf.
Rewards
The first 10 people to donate $25 will get 1 (one) dozen cupcakes of their choice. You can even split it up 6 and 6 and get 2 flavors!!! We will also shout you out on our social media pages, send you email updates, AND include you on our donor list on our website. You will get a coupon emailed to you.
Just Because I Care
Ten bucks can buy some sweet bakery supplies! For your contribution you will receive a personal shout out on our social media pages, email updates to stay in the loop and a hand written thank you note from me to you!
The Dirty (half) Dozen
Eat one cupcake every day for six whole days or share with five of your closest friends. Or if you wanna be a rock star, keep them all to yourself because you freaking deserve it! We will email you a coupon for a half dozen of your chosen flavor. You'll also get a personal shout out on our social media pages, and email updates.
Plastic bags are for trash. We'll send you a "Dutch's" canvas tote bag to carry all your precious cargo. Or use it to carry home the free dozen cupcakes you're getting for being an awesome person. We'll also send you a super comfy "Dutch's" t-shirt to lounge around in. Cupcakes are pick up only. We'll ship your tote bag and t-shirt. Get them before they're gone.
First of all, WOW! To thank you for your amazing support, you get 2 dozen free cupcakes in 2 flavors of your choice. We'll also send you a hand written thank you note, shout you out on our social media pages, and include you on our donor list on our website.
Enjoy brunch for 2 at one of our favorite local eateries, LaBelle Aurore in Niantic, CT. An American bistro serving fresh, farm to table food. They have gluten free and vegan options available. Your meal will include a special cupcake dessert from Dutch's. You'll receive a coupon via email. We'll also send you a hand written thank you note, shout you out on our social media pages, and include you on our donor list on our website.
You'll be a hero to your co-workers or loved ones. 4 dozen cupcakes delivered to your home or office. Mix and match up to 3 flavors per dozen. We'll also send you a hand written thank you note, shout you out on our social media pages, and include you on our donor list on our website.
Incredible! Our sincerest thanks! We want to meet you in person. Bring 2 of your friends and lets create some magic. In return for your thoughtful donation, we want to teach you some trade secrets. A baking class for up to 3 people, including 6 cupcakes each to take home. We'll post pictures on our social media pages and list you as a backer on our website. You'll each get a "Dutch's" t-shirt when you arrive.
Contribute more than just dollars. We want to hear your ideas for funky fun flavors and designs. You get to work with us to create your very own cupcake flavor. We'll even name it after you and list it on our menu online, plus you'll get a dozen of those bad boys for you to enjoy! Add in a free t-shirt and tote bag too. We'll also send you a hand written thank you note, shout you out on our social media pages, and include you on our donor list on our website.
Put on your party clothes and join us for our invite only soft opening. We will be opening our doors for the very first time and we want to share that day with you, our most generous backers! There will be music, fun and of course CUPCAKES! Come and share in all the fun and excitement that YOU made possible.
I think we did. Ok bestie, here's how we show our love. First, you get to design your own cupcake flavor to be listed in our store and on our website's menu. Then we're going to send you a "Dutch's" t-shirt and tote bag. Wear that shirt for our photo op together...TWINSIES!!!! Because I'm hand delivering you 1 dozen free cupcakes of your choice. Not a local? That's ok, we'll ship the cupcakes to you and give you a call to personally thank you. Of course we'll make a big ol' deal on your birthday every year, because that's what BFFs do. You'll get a birthday shout out on our social media pages and your cupcake creation will be the special promoted for the whole month! It doesn't end there! To celebrate this new found friendship we will also send you an email coupon for 1 free cupcake a month to use at our store location for 1 whole year! Because "That's What Friends Are For".
Ok, I'm beginning to think you really love us! So I'm going to return the love with a private event at our store for you and 25 of your friends and family to include cupcakes for all. Want to design your own cupcake flavors for the event? You got it! It's your world, I'm just livin in it. Of course we'll splatter our social media pages gushing over you and your generosity, because, I mean WOW. If you're feeling generous but don't live nearby, we'll ship you 1 free dozen cupcakes every month for 1 year and we'll donate your private event to a local charity or cause In our area on your behalf.