Mmm Mmm Good

I just finished my last cupcake. It wasn't just any cupcake though, I actually drove about an hour away and waited in a two hour line to get that cupcake. Well, not just that one, I think I ate three but that was the only one I took home.


I've heard of cupcake bakeries (like Just Cakes in Bethesda, MD) that make gourmet cupcakes that sell for more than $6 each. This wasn't one of those. In fact, I think this cupcake was baked in a home oven in Massachusetts. I actually got it at an art gallery from a company that doesn't sell cupcakes but has built a million dollar company on them. They have three old style 'bakeries' in premium locations in MA and CA and even have the word 'cupcakes' in their name. Confused? Then, just like me until about a week ago, you've apparently never heard of Johnny Cupcakes.

What does Johnny Cupcakes do if they don't sell cupcakes? They sell T Shirts with cupcakes on them. It sounds silly but in less than 7 years in the business, Johnny was voted America's #1 Young Entrepreneur of 2008 by BusinessWeek magazine. It's now 2010 and he's going stronger than ever. Once I heard about him and the story behind his brand I wanted to attend one of the stops on his 'suitcase tour', where he's touring the US and UK selling T Shirts out of suitcases from the back of his car as a tribute to his early days, and see what all the hype was about.

There was a line well before the event started and Johnny takes the time to have a personal conversation with everyone that shows up so it moved quite slow even when it did start. Of course, he was a nice guy, which is what his business is built on, so I didn't feel bad buying an overpriced T shirt. Besides, the actual cupcakes, lemonade and water were free and so was the story behind the design. I'm actually excited for my next day off so that I can wear my new Johnny Cupcakes shirt.

You can learn more about Johnny Cupcakes here or view the first stop on the Suitcase Tour here.