The Cupcake Bar

What The Cupcake Bar does

The Cupcake Bar, LLC is a Latina- and woman-owned experiential catering and gifting company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Austin, Texas. The company designs and operates interactive dessert stations for live events, including its signature Cupcake Bar, Doughnut Bar, Roaming Treats, Graffiti Doughnut Wall, Caramel Apple Bar, Roaming Cannoli, Roaming Macarons, Nitrogen Treat Bars, and a premium Roaming Caviar Bar. Service is delivered on-site at Austin-area events and across the broader Texas Triangle (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio), with virtual classes shipped nationwide.

Beyond live catering, the company operates a nationwide custom and corporate gifting business, producing branded gift boxes, employee appreciation kits, ERG gifts, conference welcome bags, and Austin-themed ready-to-ship gift sets (including a proprietary Drink Glitter SKU and DIY cupcake and candy sushi kits). A third line offers virtual and in-person team-building classes (cupcake decorating, candy sushi, candy charcuterie, cookie decorating, paletas). Customers include named enterprises such as Dell, Amazon, Deloitte, Kendra Scott, Electronic Arts, realtor.com, National Instruments, Canva, Demandbase, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, alongside wedding and social-event clients.

Revenue is generated through four streams: quote-based event catering (professional services), custom corporate gifting (project-based), e-commerce sales of ready-to-ship gifts (transactional), and virtual/in-person classes (professional services). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is customized per event, guest count, and branding scope. Distribution combines direct sales (phone, website contact form), an owned e-commerce storefront built on Squarespace with Stripe payments, and by-appointment consultations. The company is bootstrapped, privately held, and operates with 11-50 employees under founder Lori Saldivar Schneider (Chief Celebration Officer), Creative Director Alexa, and Director of Event Operations Kim.

Name

The Cupcake Bar

Legal name

The Cupcake Bar, LLC

Website

https://thecupcakebar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cupcake Bar is an Austin-based, Latina-owned experiential catering and corporate gifting company founded in 2007. It designs interactive dessert stations, custom branded gift boxes, and virtual team-building classes for enterprise clients, weddings, and social events, with nationwide shipping for gifts and classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cupcake Shops (THAFAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dessert & Bakery Catering (Cakes, Pastries, Candy) (HSACAGAI), Party Favors, Gifts & Custom Merchandise (HSACACAM)

Keywords

• Interactive dessert catering
• Custom corporate gifting
• Virtual team building classes
• Event catering services
• Experiential event desserts

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Interactive Dessert Catering: Full-service event catering providing interactive dessert experiences including Cupcake Bars, Doughnut Bars, Roaming Treats, and specialty dessert stations. Revenue is event-based, customized per client requirements, and quote-driven.
2. Custom Corporate Gifting: Curated gift boxes and custom branded gift solutions for corporate clients, employee appreciation, and events. Includes bulk orders, hotel drops, and nationwide shipping.
3. Ready-to-Ship Gifts: E-commerce sales of Austin-themed gift boxes, pre-designed gift sets, and DIY kits including Candy Sushi kits, cupcake kits, and Drink Glitter products.
4. Virtual & In-Person Classes: Team building classes including Cupcake Decorating, Candy Charcuterie, Candy Sushi, Cookie Decorating, and Paletas. Available virtually nationwide and in-person in Austin area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Cupcake Bar provides full-service interactive dessert catering for corporate events, weddings, and social celebrations, with customizable on-site stations including the signature Cupcake Bar, Doughnut Bar, Graffiti Doughnut Wall, Roaming Treats, Caramel Apple Bar, Caviar Bar, and Nitrogen Treat Bars. Complementing the catering business, the company designs and ships custom-branded corporate gift boxes and ready-to-ship Austin-themed gifts, and delivers virtual and in-person team building classes such as cupcake decorating, candy sushi, and cookie decorating.

Product overview

The Cupcake Bar offers interactive dessert catering, custom gifting, and team building classes as three integrated service lines. The core product is interactive dessert catering featuring the original Cupcake Bar, Doughnut Bar, Roaming Treats, and specialty stations (Caramel Apple Bar, Graffiti Doughnut Wall, D'mores, Nitrogen Treats, Candy Bars, Roaming Cannoli, Roaming Macarons, and Roaming Caviar Bar). Custom gifting provides curated corporate gifts with branding options, including Austin-themed products. Classes are offered both virtually and in-person for team building and celebrations. Services are available nationwide for gifts and classes, with in-person events concentrated in Austin and surrounding Texas areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interactive Cupcake Bar Catering Full-service interactive dessert experience where guests choose their cupcake, filling, frosting, and toppings while staff build each cupcake to order; used for weddings, corporate events, and social celebrations.
• Interactive Doughnut Bar Full-service interactive doughnut experience featuring doughnut flavors, fillings, drizzles, up to 8 toppings, and disco dust finishing; served at events.
• Graffiti Doughnut Wall Interactive edible art station where guests select colors and spray edible icings onto doughnuts to create customized edible artworks at events.
• Roaming Treats Bar Mobile dessert service in which bartenders move through event crowds with treat trays, offering customizable desserts directly to guests.
• Specialty Interactive Dessert Stations Collection of additional interactive dessert stations including Caramel Apple Bar, Doughnut Wall, D'mores Station, Nitrogen Treat Bars (Dragon's Breath effect), Candy Bar, Roaming Cannoli Bar, Roaming Macarons, and Roaming Caviar Bar; provided at weddings, corporate events, and social celebrations.
• Custom Corporate Gifting Curated gift boxes with custom branding for employee appreciation, ERG gifts, conferences, client gifts, and hotel drops; includes bulk orders and nationwide shipping.
• Austin, TX-Themed Gift Box Curated gift box featuring Austin-sourced local vendors including Stroopwafels, pint glass, Mexican wedding cookies, popcorn, pralines, and Drink Glitter; ships nationwide.
• Drink Glitter Edible glitter additive for beverages that adds sparkle to cocktails and mocktails; sold individually and included in gift boxes.
• DIY Candy Sushi Kits At-home candy sushi making kits shipped nationwide for individuals or as part of class offerings.
• Cupcake Decorating Kit DIY cupcake decorating kit with a custom sprinkle mix designed for at-home celebrations and gifting.
• Virtual Team Building Classes Online team building and celebration classes covering Cupcake Decorating, Candy Charcuterie, Candy Sushi, Cookie Decorating, Paletas, and similar topics; delivered via video conferencing nationwide.
• In-Person Team Building Classes (Austin, TX) On-site team building and celebration classes held in Austin, Texas for local clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Full-service execution from concept to confetti - stress-free event planning
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Red Velvet EventsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Red Velvet Events on custom corporate gifting projects, including a 1,700 box order for realtor.com. Red Velvet curated gift contents and orchestrated gifting logistics while The Cupcake Bar handled production, assembly, and distribution.
• CanvaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with Canva to provide gift boxes for their employee virtual events. Used Canva's software to design and customize printed elements matching brand colors and incorporating logos.
• Local Austin Small BusinessesminorOthersStrategic sourcing partnerships with local Austin vendors including Stroop Club, Pride Socks, Siete, Cornucopia Popcorn, Lammes Candies, Richard's Rainwater, austiNuts, Thunderbird Bars, South Austin Gallery, El Arroyo, and Creature Coffee for Austin-themed gift contents.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sprinkles Cupcakes: National cupcake bakery chain and one of the most recognized cupcake brands in the U.S. Closely comparable as a premium cupcake-focused retailer, though Sprinkles operates retail storefronts rather than TCB's experiential catering model.
• Georgetown Cupcake: Premium cupcake bakery with national shipping and strong TV/media brand recognition. Comparable core product (cupcakes) and DTC gifting model, though operating via retail locations rather than event catering.
• Magnolia Bakery: Iconic bakery brand known for cupcakes and dessert catering with multiple U.S. locations. Overlaps directly with TCB on cupcake retail, dessert catering for events, and DTC gifting/shipping.
• Baked by Melissa: New York-based bite-size cupcake brand with nationwide gifting and shipping. Comparable on cupcake focus, corporate gifting, and DTC e-commerce, though no experiential catering component.
• Carlo's Bakery: Celebrity bakery (Cake Boss) with retail, event catering, and nationwide shipping. Comparable brand-led experiential dessert positioning and event service offering.
• Nothing Bundt Cakes: Large U.S. franchise specializing in bundt cakes and desserts with strong corporate gifting and event catering channels. Comparable premium dessert positioning and corporate/event revenue mix.
• Smallcakes Cupcakery: Cupcake-focused franchise with retail locations and catering offerings. Directly comparable on cupcake core product and franchise-style scaling, though with more standardized store model.

Regional players

• Sugar Euphoria: Austin-based dessert and event catering company. Most direct regional competitor given shared Austin market and focus on dessert experiences for weddings and corporate events.

Broad incumbents

• SnackMagic: Tech-enabled corporate snack and gifting platform used by enterprises for employee/client gifting. Competes with TCB's corporate gifting stream at a broader, more scalable, lower-touch level.
• Caroo: Corporate gifting and snack box platform serving HR and People teams at scale. Overlaps with TCB's custom corporate gifting line on the buyer and budget (employee appreciation, ERG) but competes via curated marketplace rather than bespoke dessert curation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thecupcakebar
• Xx.com/TheCupcakeBar_
• Facebookfacebook.com/thecupcakebar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cupcake-bar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Cupcake Bar