Sweet Arleen’s is breaking out beyond its tiny little Westlake Village bake shop with plans to begin opening franchise locations in 25 markets nationwide. Many know Sweet Arleen’s President and Founder Arleen Scavone from her back-to-back wins on Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars.” Now the entrepreneur is taking on yet another challenge: opening 100 stores in five years. “It’s a great place to eat and a fun place and that will continue with the franchises,” Scavone said, though she was mum on details of the future franchise locations. Scavone’s national prominence, outstanding brand appeal and quality product prompted Larry Schwartz, senior consultant for Upside Group Franchise Consulting, to approach the business owner about franchising. “It’s the biggest little cupcake store,” Schwartz said. He personally came to know the brand when Scavone provided sweets for his daughter’s bat mitzvah about a year-and-a-half ago. “I thought it was a model we could replicate,” he said. After meeting with various companies about the franchising prospect, Scavone decided to launch the enterprise with Upside. “I always envisioned a national Sweet Arleen’s,” Scavone said. “It starts with belief. Dream it, do it and move on.” Baking Love Scavone grew up cooking with her mother and older sister and “wanted to graduate from mud pies to the kitchen.” In school, she took every cooking class possible, but her passion for baking ended there. “There was no career for cooking and baking like there is now,” she said. Scavone went on to work in banking as a loan processor and stayed in the industry for three decades. She opened Sweet Arleen’s in November 2009 after the banking financial crisis. “In 2008, I realized I wanted to have a business of my own and I thought, ‘What can I do?’ I ran out of people at home to feed, so I thought, ‘I can have a bakery,’” Scavone said. Even as her baking business is taking off, Scavone continues to work as a full-time banking consultant. Location, location, location was the key for Scavone in her business launch – and it she says it remains important as she looks to expand the brand beyond her single location in Westlake Village, which employs 16 workers. Perhaps more important, though, is having strict quality standards. For example, the shop uses the best chocolate and real maple bacon and other ingredients, which can be quite costly, Scavone said. She recalls her pastry chef once questioned the use of the pricey ingredients: “‘Are you kidding? We won’t make any money.’” But Scavone said she insisted, telling the chef: “We make them and they will come over the hill for them!” Future Franchise And come they have. Soon after the store opened, Scavone was called to audition for “Cupcake Wars” in the summer of 2010, and her two-time victories brought more customers and growth. The company has doubled sales every year since opening, Scavone said. She declined to offer revenue information. Scavone credits her staff with helping the business to be successful. She also has been driving more sales with a Mercedes Sprinter Cupcake Mobile, which hit the streets last summer. Custom-crafted by West Coast Customs, the vehicle goes to local events in the summer selling cupcakes. One August night in Oxnard, all 770 cupcakes onboard sold in three hours. Going forward, the plan is to expand the brand’s mobile operation. For now, however, Scavone is focused on franchising at a smart pace. “My main concern is to move fast enough, but to not miss the quality. There is a window here with cupcakes, and I want to demonstrate that cupcakes are here to stay.” The Sweet Arleen’s franchises are likely to be available beginning in January, Schwartz said.
Sweet Arleen’s to Franchise
