Crave Cupcakes

What Crave Cupcakes does

Crave Cupcakes is a Houston-based artisan cupcake bakery founded in 2009 that produces handcrafted cupcakes and complementary baked goods from scratch daily in small batches using premium ingredients (European chocolates, house-made vanilla, Napa Valley fruit, local dairy) with no preservatives. The company operates three retail locations across Houston (Uptown Park, Kirby, West University) and supports pickup, in-store purchase, curbside, local messenger delivery, and same-day fulfillment through five third-party delivery platforms (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Favor, Postmates, Amazon Prime Now). National overnight shipping is enabled through the Goldbelly platform to customers across the continental United States. The core technology stack is artisanal rather than software-driven — built around small-batch daily production, a custom edible-printing system for full-color personalized fondant toppers, embossed sugar toppers for weddings and corporate orders, and a content library of 50+ themed designs spanning sports teams (Texas, TCU, Texas A&M, LSU, SMU), life events, and seasonal occasions.

The company monetizes through one-time unit purchases priced at $4.75 per original cupcake and $21-$28 per dozen minis, with additional revenue from bakeshop items (cookies, brownies, cake pops, dog treats), coffee (Bakery Blend, Hill Country Pecan, Holiday Spice, Velvet Espresso), digital gift cards ($10-$100 denominations), party essentials (candle sets, plates, CRAVE Party Tower display stands at $25), and delivery fees starting at $10 within Houston. Custom decoration orders carry minimums of 72 cupcakes and additional fees ($51/dozen for customer artwork or $40 designer fee plus $51/dozen for original designs). The customer base is horizontally distributed across individual occasion consumers, corporate buyers, health-conscious customers (gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free SKUs), and wedding customers — with no disclosed enterprise anchor contracts. Distribution runs through company-owned retail, the company's own e-commerce site, third-party delivery apps, and Goldbelly for national reach. The technology and operational footprint are characteristic of a mature single-metro specialty food retailer with a national shipping extension rather than a tech-enabled food platform.

Name

Crave Cupcakes

Legal name

Crave Cupcakes

Website

https://cravecupcakes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Crave Cupcakes is a Houston-based artisan bakery founded in 2009 that handcrafts premium cupcakes and baked goods daily, operating three retail locations plus national shipping via Goldbelly and serving individual occasion, corporate, wedding, and health-conscious consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Bakery

NAICS

Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cupcake Shops (THAFAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes (THAFAFAC)

Keywords

• Artisan cupcakes
• Specialty bakery
• Custom baked goods
• Gourmet desserts
• Celebration cakes

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cupcake and Bakeshop Product Sales: One-time purchases of freshly baked cupcakes, mini cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cake pops, and specialty bakeshop items sold at retail locations and through online ordering. Products are made daily in small batches without preservatives.
2. Custom and Occasion Orders: Custom decorated cupcakes for weddings, parties, and corporate events with special decorations, custom printed toppers, and embossed sugar pieces. Includes wedding cupcake tastings ($25 fee credited toward orders of 50+ cupcakes).
3. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations from $10 to $100, enabling recipients to purchase any products.
4. Delivery Services: Local Houston area delivery through third-party messenger service starting at $10, available Monday through Saturday. Also available through Uber Eats, DoorDash, Favor, Postmates, and Amazon Prime Now.
5. Coffee and Beverage Sales: Coffee offerings including Bakery Blend, Hill Country Pecan, Holiday Spice, and Velvet Espresso sold alongside bakery products.
6. Party Essentials and Supplies: Sale of party supplies including candle sets, plates, and CRAVE Party Tower display stands ($25) for customers who purchase cupcakes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Crave Cupcakes is a Houston-based artisan bakery that handcrafts cupcakes and bakeshop treats from scratch daily in small batches using premium ingredients (European chocolates, house-made vanilla, fresh local dairy). The company sells original-size cupcakes ($4.75 each), mini cupcakes, assorted bakeshop items (cookies, brownies, cake pops), coffee, and customizable decorated cupcakes for events and celebrations across three Houston retail locations and via national shipping.

Product overview

Crave Cupcakes is a Houston-based artisan bakery offering handcrafted cupcakes and baked goods made from scratch daily using premium ingredients. The core product portfolio centers on original-size cupcakes (20+ flavors at $4.75 each) and mini cupcakes (dozens starting at $21-$28), complemented by bakeshop items (cookies, brownies, cake pops, dog treats), coffee offerings, party essentials, gift cards, and customizable decorative toppers. The company operates on a made-to-order model with 24-hour advance ordering, offers local delivery via third-party services (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Favor, Postmates, Amazon Prime Now) and national shipping through Goldbelly, with locations in Uptown Park and Kirby, Houston.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cupcakes (Original Size) Handcrafted cupcakes made daily in small batches with premium ingredients including European chocolates, house-made vanilla, and fresh local dairy. Available in 20+ flavors at $4.75 per cupcake.
• Mini Cupcakes Dozen Bite-size versions of original cupcakes, approximately 2-3 bites each. Available in over 18 varieties with specialty flavor dozens starting at $28.
• Bakeshop Items Additional baked goods including assorted brownies and cookies boxes ($21), chocolate chip cookies ($3.25), cake pops ($3.75), protein bars ($2.95), coffee cake slices, and Crave Doggie Treats ($1.00).
• Crave Pops Cake pops made with cake mixed with buttercream frosting and topped with candy coating, individually wrapped and available daily.
• Coffee Offerings Beverage offerings including Bakery Blend coffee ($12.50), Hill Country Pecan, Holiday Spice, and Velvet Espresso sold alongside bakery products.
• Party Essentials Party supplies including Candle Sets (24 pack), Happy Birthday Plates (8 pack), and Single Candles sold alongside cupcake orders.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in $10, $25, $50, and $100 denominations, can be emailed to recipients with optional custom message.
• Customizable Toppers Personalized cupcake decorations including over 60 themed toppers (sports themes, wedding themes, birthday, baby shower, Greek life, and more) with 22 available color options. Custom printed toppers with photos/logos available for additional fee.
• Occasion and Assorted Boxes Pre-packaged cupcake assortments for occasions including Thank You ($28.50/half dozen), Happy Birthday ($57/dozen), Gluten Free and Vegan, Mini Dozen Boxes, Summer of Soccer, and Houston Baseball themed boxes.
• CRAVE Party Tower Exclusive disposable but reusable party display tower for arranging cupcakes, available for $25 each with minimum cupcake purchase.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Uber EatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery platform enabling same-day delivery of Crave Cupcakes products to Houston area customers based on available quantities.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery platform enabling same-day delivery of Crave Cupcakes products to Houston area customers based on available quantities.
• Amazon Prime NowminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery service enabling same-day delivery of Crave Cupcakes products to Houston area customers with Prime membership.
• FavorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal third-party delivery platform enabling same-day delivery of Crave Cupcakes products to Houston area customers.
• PostmatesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery platform enabling same-day delivery of Crave Cupcakes products to Houston area customers.
• GoldbellycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational food shipping platform enabling overnight delivery of Crave Cupcakes to customers throughout the continental United States. Ships Tuesday through Fridays, orders before 2pm CST day before delivery.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mrs. Fields: National cookie and baked-goods brand with retail and e-commerce channels. Comparable on premium baked-treat retail and gifting e-commerce, though broader product line and established national scale.
• Nothing Bundt Cakes: National franchised bakery chain specializing in bundt cakes for celebrations, with 500+ U.S. locations. Comparable on celebration-occasion cake focus and franchise-store model, though different core product.

Emerging players

• Milk Bar: Multi-city dessert brand known for cakes, cookies, and 'birthday cake'-inspired treats. Comparable on premium positioning, customization for celebrations, and millennial/Gen-Z social-media-driven brand.

Others

• Sweetgreen: Not a direct competitor, but a relevant comp set for digitally-native multi-unit food retail with strong brand, app-first ordering, and unit-economic discipline. Useful for benchmarking Crave's potential digital and loyalty roadmap.

Direct peers

• Baked by Melissa: NYC-based bite-size cupcake and treat brand with strong direct-to-consumer e-commerce and corporate gifting. Closely comparable on mini-cupcake SKU, customization, and national shipping model.
• Tiff's Treats: Austin-based warm-cookie delivery and pickup chain operating company-owned and franchised locations in Texas and the South. Comparable on Texas-based made-to-order dessert retail, delivery-first model, and multi-store growth playbook.
• Magnolia Bakery: Iconic NYC bakery famous for cupcakes, banana pudding, and bakery treats with retail stores in major U.S. cities. Comparable product mix (cupcakes + bakeshop items) and premium-brand positioning.
• Crumbs Bake Shop: Cupcake specialty chain (formerly public, now revived) focused on oversized gourmet cupcakes. Closely comparable on cupcake-only positioning and specialty retail; cautionary comparable on scale challenges.
• Sprinkles Cupcakes: Pioneer cupcake-only specialty chain offering cupcakes, mini cupcakes, and custom celebration cakes across multiple U.S. metros. Closest direct comparable on core product (cupcakes) and multi-store retail model.
• Georgetown Cupcake: Washington D.C.-based cupcake specialty chain known for daily-baked cupcakes, custom occasion orders, and national shipping. Directly comparable on product, customization focus, and premium positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cravecupcakeshtx
• Xx.com/CRAVEHouston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Crave Cupcakes