SIOUX CITY | What started as a home-based cupcake-making business had proved particularly tasty, but Ali Davidson and Tiffany Parsons hungered for more.
They dreamed of owning a small store to sell their baked goods. They got a coffeehouse instead – the Daily Grind & Market, at 511 Fourth St.
“We both quit our jobs and jumped in,” Davidson said. “Our customers followed us over to the Grind.”
Davidson, a longtime amateur baker, was encouraged to start a home-based business by family and friends more than five years ago.
As Kustom Kupcakes picked up steam, she enlisted her sister-in-law to help fill orders for area parties and wedding receptions.
In July, they were asked by Sioux City businessman Rick Bertrand to make cupcakes for the coffee shop, which led Davidson and Parsons to buy the Daily Grind from him in November.
People are also reading…
“He approached us and asked if we wanted to buy it,” Davidson said. “Three weeks later, here we were.”
Bertrand had recently purchased the coffeehouse from Gloria Barnum, who had owned it for 18 years. The local developer, known for his properties on Pearl Street, said he was intrigued with taking over an established business.
"Starting a new business takes a lot of time and patience," he said. "With the Daily Grind, we knew it had a loyal customer base. The trick was to expand that base with new products and an updated image."
He did a lot of the heavy lifting, unknowingly clearing the way to make a dream come true for two women.
Bertrand closed the shop for 10 days in order to give the Daily Grind an updated, urban coffeehouse aesthetic. Five layers of drywall came down on the eastern side of the shop. Now, an exposed brick wall adds warmth and charm to the contemporary space.
The florescent lights were replaced and the walls painted a neutral gray. Betrand also changed the name of the business to the Daily Grind & Market and added a full range of freshly made foods.
Customers can indulge their sweet tooth with gourmet goods made by Kustom Kupcakes as well as choose from several soups, salads and sandwiches.
Before owning the Daily Grind, cupcake-making was simply a sideline for Davidson, an in-home day care provider, and Parsons, a bookkeeper. They made sweets on nights and weekends.
Davidson readily admitted the two of them would text each other cupcake recipes seven days a week. "It's hard not to think about cupcakes," she said. "We're always on the Internet, looking for new ingredients to experiment with."
Davidson has some eager taste testers with her three kids. Likewise, Parsons has her two daughters offering cupcake critiques.
While the two women make their share of traditional baked goods, Kustom Kupcakes is best known for more adventurous fare like a new breakfast line, which includes cupcakes made with blueberries and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.
Davidson also concocted cupcakes that incorporated candies popular during her childhood.
"You may not like an entire cake made with lemon drop candies or a cake with maple-flavored frosting and bits of bacon, but a cupcake with those ingredients turns out to be the right size,” she said.
For an incurable inventor like Davidson, cupcakes simply lend themselves to experimentation, and their trendy.
"Cupcakes are the 'in' thing to make," she said. "They're so convenient. At weddings, cupcakes are popular because they're self-serving. At coffee shops, they're popular because they're portable."
