Sweet, a popular destination for specialty cakes, has recently relocated its operations from Ellicott City to a new facility in Mount Vernon. The move was inspired by several factors, including proximity to Sweet's primary clients and a desire to move to an improved facility.
"[Chief Creative Officer] Tracey Buchanan and I knew that we needed to move off of Main St. in Ellicott City at the end of our lease for several reasons," says owner Chris Sikora. "We looked at Baltimore because we were down here nearly every weekend and have wonderful relationships with many major hotels, banquet facilities, and caterers."
The change in address also brings a change in business model for the bakery. At its previous location, Sweet operated as a cafe as well as a bakery. With the change to Mount Vernon, Sweet has eliminated the cafe portion of its business to better focus on cakes. The bakery recently re-introduced its popular breads, available only on the weekend.
"The building allows us to design a much more efficient team environment, reduces our costs and makes it much easier to deliver," Sikora continues.
The relocation has allowed Sweet to be in closer proximity to the city's major event venues. Sweet's custom cakes have been popular with Baltimore couples looking for an unusual wedding cake.
Sweet was recently recognized by The Knot magazine in its 2011 "Best of Weddings" edition. This is the fifth consecutive year that the bakery has achieved this distinction.
Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Chris Sikora, Sweet