How The Sweetest Booth Got Started
The Sweetest Booth was started in the spring of 2017. We had just moved into a new house with new neighbors and didn’t know anyone. This was the perfect time to plan my kids’ birthday parties for the year. My oldest would be turning 4 and this was the first year she really had an opinion on what she wanted-- cats! The options available were horrible! With too much time on my hands, I decided I could read a tutorial, watch a Youtube video, and somehow give her the cake she wanted. I got a $15 box of fondant and got to work. By the third attempt at making cats, I was feeling pretty good about it. My husband then spent an entire week telling me “You could sell those!” and I continued to tell him “I love you, but you’re crazy.”
So, we set out to create an Etsy shop in hopes of helping out others in my situation. The first question when setting up an Etsy shop: What is your shop’s name? We hadn’t thought that far! We spent what seemed like forever going back and forth with names and nothing stuck. We finally determined we wanted to include our last name “Booth” as we would be selling through an online booth, of sorts. Eventually, we landed on “The Sweetest Booth”, and so it began. The hardest part? Shipping. Shipping edible items that cannot be refrigerated but could possibly melt was a major learning curve! We spent countless hours researching the safest and most economical methods to ship our items so they would arrive as expected. We’ve used air bubbles, bubble wrap, foam, packing peanuts, and for a while I went with teddy bear stuffing!
We spent the first year and a half selling these customized cake and cupcake toppers to individuals, as well as to bakeries all over the world. Shortly after, I started baking the cakes myself for my kids and family, and eventually friends. Word began to spread and suddenly I was baking cakes. Then along came cookies, because once I’m asked multiple times for something, I realize there’s a need that isn’t being fulfilled.
During 2019 we started partnering with the nonprofit organization, Icing Smiles. Icing Smiles “provides custom celebration cakes and other treats to families impacted by the critical illness of a child. We understand that the simple things, like a birthday cake, are luxuries to a family battling illness. Our goal is to create a custom cake for the ill child, or their sibling, that provides a temporary escape from worry and creates a positive memory during a difficult time.” Having young children myself, their mission is very dear to my heart.
Today, we strive to provide quality, customized cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other treats to add that “wow!” factor to any celebration. We’re here to help that mom achieve the “Pinterest party” her kid is asking for, and we’re also here for those that are too busy to do it themselves, but still want that magical finishing touch!