Conversations with Sara Fitzpatrick

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Fitzpatrick

Hi Sara, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It all started for me with a dream of a beautiful sweet shop and the perfect set of windows 😉 I’d been working on the East Coast for about 7 years in corporate sales and just felt “unsettled”…like something was missing for me. After some soul searching I knew it was time for a change and I started to dream about what I would love to do if I could write the next chapter on my own. I have always loved beautiful desserts and hobby baking in my youth but never considered it as a career. When it came time to re-evaluate what I wanted to do every day I knew in my heart the dream was to open a boutique bakery in a town that I loved and missed dearly.

I started researching, planning, dreaming up recipes and a business plan “just because” and then on a winter visit home I saw the space for lease on Glenwood Avenue with it’s two big, beautiful windows in a part of the city that was just beginning to “wake up” if you will with residents, and some small businesses daring to move in. I took it as a sign to jump right in! I could “see it” all from the paint on the walls to the glass bakery case filled with scratch baked goodies calling to the people in the surrounding neighborhoods. This was important to me because I wanted to bring the experience of so many European cafes and dessert spots where people linger over a latte and savor a sweet dessert with friends on a sunny afternoon on the sidewalk to NC.

While the space was far from what I envisioned in it’s current dark and dreary state I knew what it could be and I took the leap! I spent almost a year building out the space and testing recipes before we finally opened to the public in July of 2007. It has been some of the hardest, yet most fulfilling work of my life and I am so proud of the amazing people I’ve had the honor to work with, the incredible clients who we’ve gotten to collaborate with on all of life’s celebrations over the last nearly 2 decades on the street, and the amazing community around us that grace us with their presence for their morning coffees and pastries! It has been the greatest adventure and I am so excited about what the years to come will hold 🙂

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Owning your own small business is never “smooth” for very long 🙂 We have been successful due to our commitment to a perfect, high quality product and overwhelming customer service and this has kept our business thriving even when our competitors have come and gone. There will always be struggles along the way (sometimes it’s staffing, sometimes it’s equipment breaking down during a slow sales month, and sometimes it’s a national pandemic that is totally out of your control) but it is our ability to pull together, think outside the box, and stay firmly rooted in what has kept us in business for almost 20 years and that is a solid focus on how to serve our customers well, and what makes life sweet!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
While the name of the business makes it somewhat obvious that we do cupcakes we are also known for our beautiful custom cakes and specialty pastries! What sets us apart is our commitment to scratch baked goods and baking fresh onsite every morning. We work with custom cake clients individually to make their confectionary visions come to life and most importantly we also make it taste amazing! I am most proud of the longevity of our business and reputation we’ve built for quality as well as my amazing team which I couldn’t do without. Many of my core staff have been with me for many years and I truly believe if you build the team, they build the business and I am honored to work alongside the very best in the business each day!

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I think the most important thing is to remember your “why” when things get hard. There will always be bad days, hard days, and long days but if you focus on your “why” and just tackle what is in front of you with persistance and hard work you will rise above and power through.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thecupcakeshopperaleigh.com
• Instagram: thecupcakeshopperaleigh