Sugar Plum Bakery
Sugar Plum Bakery is a Virginia Beach nonprofit 501(c)(3) social enterprise operating a retail artisan bakery that employs and trains individuals with developmental disabilities, serving local consumers with custom cakes, wedding cakes, and baked goods under DARS and Medicaid Waiver-supported programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersVirginia Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sugar Plum Bakery does
Sugar Plum Bakery is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) social enterprise founded in 1985 and operating since 1987 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, that combines a commercial artisan bakery with a supported employment program for individuals with developmental disabilities. The organization employs a staff of 11–50, including bakers, decorators, an operations manager, and an executive director, and supplements this workforce with program participants referred through the Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), the Virginia Beach Community Services Board, and the Virginia Beach school system's Transition Program; the program has been CARF accredited since 2003.
The bakery's product line includes over 40 signature cake varieties (anchored by its Mozart cake), celebration cakes, wedding cakes, cupcakes, pies, cookies, cookie cakes, coffee cakes, pastries, donuts, party trays, and seasonal offerings. Operations are conducted from a single retail storefront at 1353 Laskin Road, supplemented by an adjacent property at 1361 Laskin Road acquired in 2021. Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer: walk-in retail purchases, phone orders with 24-hour notice for specialty cakes, scheduled wedding cake consultations (free, Tuesday–Saturday, averaging ~25 couples per month), and limited delivery across Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Sandbridge, and Pungo.
Revenue is generated through four distinct streams: retail bakery sales, custom cake orders, wedding cake services, donations (processed via Donorbox and supported by an annual Golf Classic fundraiser), and government contracts for supported employment services delivered under DARS and Medicaid Waiver programs (BI, FI, CL waivers). The organization is governed by a 13-member volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Tim Rivas and led operationally by Executive Director Patricia Rakes Clark. Production relies on traditional artisan baking methods rather than automation or AI-driven systems.
Sugar Plum Bakery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sugar Plum Bakery
- Legal name
- Sugar Plum, Inc.
- Website
- https://sugarplumbakery.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sugar Plum Bakery is a Virginia Beach nonprofit 501(c)(3) social enterprise operating a retail artisan bakery that employs and trains individuals with developmental disabilities, serving local consumers with custom cakes, wedding cakes, and baked goods under DARS and Medicaid Waiver-supported programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sugar Plum Bakery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Bakery
- NAICS
- Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes (THAFAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA), Dessert-First Bakeries (Cupcakes, Cookies, Brownies) (THAFAFAH)
Keywords
Where Sugar Plum Bakery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Virginia Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sugar Plum Bakery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Bakery Sales: Daily in-store sales of cakes, cupcakes, cookies, donuts, pastries, pies, and other baked goods. Customers can purchase items directly from the retail display cases without pre-order.
- Custom Cake Orders: Pre-ordered specialty cakes, celebration cakes, and custom creations. Orders require 24-hour notice. Includes customizable flavors, fillings, and decorations.
- Wedding Cake Services: Custom wedding cake consultations, design, baking, and delivery services. Free consultations available Tuesday through Saturday. Delivery to Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk areas.
- Donations and Fundraising: Nonprofit donations through Donorbox platform. Annual Golf Classic fundraiser at Bayville Golf and Country Club supports the organization's endowment.
- Supported Employment Services: Government-funded supported employment services for individuals with developmental disabilities through DARS and Medicaid Waiver programs (BI, FI, CL waivers). CARF accredited since 2003.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Baker hourly wage |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Custom cake orders |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Wedding cake consultations |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Retail bakery items |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sugar Plum Bakery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sugar Plum Bakery operates a retail artisan bakery producing from-scratch custom cakes, wedding cakes, celebration cakes, cupcakes, pies, donuts, cookies, pastries, and party trays for individual consumers and wedding couples in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area. In parallel, it delivers supported employment, job skills training, prevocational services, and career counseling to adults with developmental disabilities through DARS and Medicaid Waiver-funded programs.
Product overview
Sugar Plum Bakery is a nonprofit organization operating as a retail bakery since 1987, offering a diverse portfolio of baked goods centered around cakes, pastries, and desserts. The product lineup consists of Celebration Cakes (birthday, anniversary, special occasion), Specialty Cakes with over 40 signature varieties including their famous Mozart cake (best seller), Wedding Cakes with custom designs and delivery service, Cupcakes in multiple flavors, Pies including seasonal summer varieties, Cookie Cakes, Desserts (cannoli, bars, petite fours), Cookies sold by the pound, Coffee Cakes, Pastries (Danish, muffins, scones), Donuts in over 30 varieties, and Party Trays for events. The bakery operates as a supported employment program for individuals with developmental disabilities, with products made from scratch using high-quality ingredients. Seasonal offerings include Summer Pies (Memorial Day-Labor Day), St. Patrick's Day specials, and holiday-themed items.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Celebration Cakes
Companies that use Sugar Plum Bakery
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sugar Plum Bakery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sugar Plum Bakery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DARS (Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services)coreVended by DARS since 1990 to provide employment services for individuals qualifying for DARS services. Ongoing partnership for supported employment referrals.
- Virginia Beach Community Services BoardcorePartnered since 1993 to provide job skills training for individuals who receive Medicaid Waiver services including Building Independence, Family & Individual, and Community Living waivers.
- Virginia Beach School SystemcoreTransition Program partnership established in 2005 making Sugar Plum Bakery a work experience site for high school seniors exiting the school system. Over 35 students participated in the program.
- Bayville Golf and Country ClubminorVenue for the annual Sugar Plum Bakery Golf Classic fundraiser since 2003. First tournament held in spring 2003.
- HLD Landscaping, Inc.minorFull-service landscaping company that maintains bakery grounds, mowing, beds, planters, and irrigation system. Donates 50% of landscaping services. Plants selected to complement the bakery's plum color scheme.
- WTKR NEWS 3minorLocal television news coverage highlighting the bakery's mission of hiring workers with disabilities and lasting success since 1987.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sugar Plum Bakery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nothing Bundt Cakes: National specialty cake retailer focused on celebration/occasion bundt cakes sold through franchised storefronts — comparable product line and celebration-cake GTM.
- Carlo's Bake Shop: Hoboken-based specialty bakery known for custom celebration cakes, wedding cakes, and decorated desserts — directly comparable in custom cake and wedding cake focus.
- SusieCakes: Specialty bakery chain offering cupcakes, celebration cakes, and custom desserts through retail storefronts — strong overlap with Sugar Plum's custom celebration cake and cupcake offerings.
- Hot Bread Kitchen: New York-based nonprofit social enterprise bakery providing job training and workforce development to immigrant women and underserved populations, with retail and wholesale bakery sales — directly comparable mission + commercial bakery structure.
- Greyston Bakery: Open-hire nonprofit bakery in Yonkers, NY that employs individuals facing barriers to employment (formerly including those with disabilities) and produces baked goods for retail and wholesale — the closest analog to Sugar Plum's social-enterprise bakery model.
- Magnolia Bakery: Iconic New York-origin retail bakery famous for cupcakes, specialty cakes, and pies sold through storefronts — comparable in product mix (cupcakes, pies, custom cakes) and celebration-cake orientation, though for-profit.
- Georgetown Cupcake: Boutique cupcake and specialty dessert retailer with strong brand recognition and multiple storefronts — comparable in cupcake-focused retail bakery positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Publix (Bakery Department): Southeastern U.S. supermarket chain with strong in-store bakery offerings including custom celebration cakes — relevant incumbent competitor in the same regional grocery-bakery category.
- Whole Foods Market (Bakery Department): National grocer with in-store bakery departments producing cakes, cupcakes, and pastries — competes for celebration cake and daily-bakery occasions at scale.
Emerging players
- Crumbl Cookies: Rapidly growing specialty cookie and dessert retailer with rotating menu and digital ordering — competes for share of celebration/dessert occasions via modern digital experience Sugar Plum lacks.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sugar Plum Bakery social profiles
Digital presenceSugar Plum Bakery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sugar Plum Bakery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Sugar Plum Bakery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sugar Plum Bakery M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sugar Plum Bakery
What does Sugar Plum Bakery do?
Sugar Plum Bakery operates a retail artisan bakery producing from-scratch custom cakes, wedding cakes, celebration cakes, cupcakes, pies, donuts, cookies, pastries, and party trays for individual consumers and wedding couples in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area. In parallel, it delivers supported employment, job skills training, prevocational services, and career counseling to adults with developmental disabilities through DARS and Medicaid Waiver-funded programs.
Is Sugar Plum Bakery a public or private company?
Sugar Plum Bakery is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sugar Plum Bakery founded?
Sugar Plum Bakery was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sugar Plum Bakery based?
Sugar Plum Bakery is headquartered in Virginia Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sugar Plum Bakery make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Bakery Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Cake Orders, wedding Cake Services, donations and Fundraising and supported Employment Services.
Who are Sugar Plum Bakery's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nothing Bundt Cakes, Carlo's Bake Shop, SusieCakes, Hot Bread Kitchen, Greyston Bakery, Magnolia Bakery and Georgetown Cupcake. Broad incumbents are Publix (Bakery Department) and Whole Foods Market (Bakery Department). Crumbl Cookies is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sugar Plum Bakery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sugar Plum Bakery.
What industry is Sugar Plum Bakery in?
Sugar Plum Bakery's product category is Retail Bakery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAFAC, Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes, with a secondary code of THAFAFAA, Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery). Its NAICS code is 311811 and its SIC code is 2050.