THE HEART GETS IN THE WAY

I arrived today at Sweet Revenge, psyched to pick up the new V-day cupcakes to deliver to the Martha Stewart show and Time Out New York magazine.  Alas, I learned Joan had issues with piping the sexy, edgy heart design we’d been working on and so all the cupcakes were in the signature SR design – ie 3 piped mohawks.  Natch, they looked badass but not valentine-esque. Boooooooooo. Joan quickly again attempted the heart motif for me and sadly the heart got in the way, refusing to cooperate.

Last year, I had the opportunity to drop off my cupcakes for consideration for the Today Show’s annual summer wedding show where the viewers vote on all aspects of the wedding.  I submitted the Pure, the Dirty and the Not So Dirty – all highly stylized and delicious.  I put together a powerpoint pitch page which included visuals and a description that the cupcakes would be displayed with strewn rose petals and ribbons to match the bridesmaid dresses.  I had 24 hours to sort out the idea and deliver the cupcakes.  I was pretty pleased with the proposal given the quick turnaround time, but later I learned that my cupcakes didn’t look weddingny enough.  I don’t need to learn that lesson again. Valentine’s day cupcakes need hearts. And mine will look badass when we get it right — sexy, edgy and sophisticated, nothing cutesy about them.

I called my friend at the show and begged off for more time explaining the issue we were experiencing.  I’m now delivering the cupcakes next Tuesday.  I told my pal Lise who is departing back to Blighty this afternoon, that all the rush-rush and stress reminded me of our NBC days when doing deals was life or death and deadlines arbitrary and only do-able by extreme sacrifice. This is cupcakes I’m talking about. No one is going to die. The deadline I’d set today was one I’d created that luckily had flexibility. A quick phone into my friend Kelli at the show eliminated the pressure and bought us the time we needed. Thank you Kelli for being so understanding!

So today we’re selling the first batches of the Ma Cherie and Casablanca and we have the Very Strawberry which is a mad fave of my patrons.

Teaser taste of Sweet Revenge — the waiting is the heartest part (sorry Tom Petty, I couldn’t help myself!)…

The sweetest revenge is just to be happy!

cheers,

Marlo

"Here's looking at you, kid"

We’ve been working on the Casablanca, our new pistachio cardamom cupcake with rosewater buttercream for Valentine’s day.  Sexy, romantic, and beautifully delicious!

Casablanca movie poster - inspiring love, romance and sexy Moroccan flavors...

Today Joan, my lovely and talented pastry chef, experimented with adding larger pistachio bits into the cake and upping the rosewater essence in the frosting. Big thanks to my pals Lisa and Lorissa for these suggestions when they tastetested our first attempt at the Casablanca a few days ago.

Casablanca cupcake in recipe development mode

Joan and I agreed it was better to have a hint of rosewater instead of overdoing it (it is potpourri-esque in abundance which is super not sexy and not delicious), and we really liked biting into the pistachio pieces in the cake.  Quite a nice surprise! The picture of the cupcake in its 4 iterations reminds me of my prior life doing 4-blockers on powerpoint pitches when I worked at NBC. Thank gaaawd my due diligence today was comparing frostings and cake textures instead going blind plugging away at some P&L line item of an excel model on a potential deal with an insert project name here on the first page. Seriously, what a great gig I have!

Teasertaste of Sweet Revenge…I’m dropping off our Valentine’s day cupcakes at Martha Stewart and Time Out NY mag tomorrow. You know what happens if you do nothing – nothing happens.  You just never know what might happen when you put yourself out there…fingers crossed!

The sweetest revenge is just to be happy!

cheers,

Marlo

Where a week goes?

Its Saturday afternoon, and I’m just now getting to my second blog post.  Where in the hellsbells did the week just go?!  It was a blur like a kalaidescope, in and out of focus on new Valentine’s day cupcake recipes, paying bills, and figuring out 75% of my silverware has disappeared over the last 18 months so we don’t having enough forks for patrons to eat cupcakes. Please dear staff, scrape the frosting off the plates into the garbage but spare the flatware!

Since I blogged on Monday, I’ve had intentions of blogging again every day.  In the game of small business thumb wars, operational nuts & bolts crushed my strategic pursuits.  My biggest timesucks are taking care of routine details and business admin, necessary to do’s but manalive do they get in the way of accomplishing to-do’s that will help the bigger picture.  This week we ran out of rolls of pennies,  I was delinquent on doing the bank deposit, I needed to get my ass to the Bowery for a new menu board since mine is looking getto, and I had payroll.

Sweet Revenge menu board

Most of the had-to-do’s got done by eliminating sleep and sacrificing my recent personal splurge — making time to swim at the public rec center at the end of the block ($6/month membership! yes, that’s right SIX DOLLARS A MONTH for membership, unbelievable!). I swiped the menu board photo from fab food blogger Grace at http://www.gracenotesnyc.com/2009/08/10/cupcake-cagematch-results-best-vanilla-cupcake-in-nyc/.  Thank you Grace!

To deal with the silverware shortage, I bought non-matching but cheap as chips matte flatware from Fish’s Eddy in Union Square instead of re-ordering my lovely original silverware and paying a hefty delivery fee.

Mix & Match Matte Silverware

Its a temporary fix that may become a permanent solution to the disposable nature of what shouldn’t be throwaway flatware. Maybe mix and match can be quirky cool? I’m willing to give it a try because its a savings of ~$2 per piece.  I’m interested to see what, if any, reaction patrons have to the mix and match. I want to ensure it doesn’t cheapen their experience thereby causing a branding issue. That would be a very different cost to the business…

Knowing how the week just flew, the rest of the weekend is going to zip by like a flash. I’ve got to bartend at SR in T-4 hours and one of my best galpals Lisa has just arrived from Blighty to crash at my studio for a few days.  I’m psyched to visit with her, totally exhausted and I need to pick up my laundry so I can make the bed.  I’d like to just close my eyes for a few mins to rest.  I know I’m going to blink and be back here in a few hours servin’ up booze and cupcakes.

And now for a teaser taste of Sweet Revenge:

Casablanca Cupcake (Rosewater Frosting, Pistachio Cardamom cake)

New cupcakes in development for Valentine’s day: Ma Cherie (Bordeaux cherry chocolate ganache, black velvet cake) and Casablanca (rosewater frosting, pistachios cardamom cake)…

Ma Cherie Cupcake (Bordeaux Cherry Chocolate Ganache, Black Velvet cake)

The sweetest revenge is just to be happy!

cheers!

Marlo

Sweet Revenge Celebrates 1 1/2 Year Anniversary TODAY!

Greetings and Happy 2010!

Today, Monday, January 11, 2010 I’m celebrating my 1 ½ year anniversary of having the doors open for business at

Sweet Revenge Owner Marlo Scott....Viva Cupcake, Wine & Beer Pairings!

Sweet Revenge, my artisan cupcake, beer & wine bar located at 62 Carmine Street in Manhattan’s west village.  It has been a crazy, great trip so far surviving 18 months as a first-time small business owner in this tsunami of an economy.  I’m damn happy to be making it, enjoying the ride and sharing my 2010 developments to take Sweet Revenge to the next level.

Online

Website Redesign

To create a dynamic online experience for patrons near and far, I’m re-designing my website (www.SweetRevengeNYC.com) to be search engine optimized.  A talented patron, Mike Robinson, is handling the development.  Sweet Revenge 2.0 will tie in with Twitter, Facebook and this blog!  The current website has served its purpose as a story-telling platform. But with time comes progress, and it’s time to leverage the site to strategically aggregate site visitors and offer robust content.  You can check out Mike’s work on: http://www.michaeljamesrobinson.com.  I’m a huge fan of his!

Sweet Revenge Blog

Through my blog postings, I want to share a taste of Sweet Revenge…the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial rollercoaster, my hilarious regulars who make my place an upscale Cheers, and the minor telenovela dramas that take place.  I’ll talk shop on new recipes, cupcake, wine & beer pairings and the progress I’m making on my 2010 initiatives. To get the blog ball rolling, my postings are in wordpress.  I know this format is allllll kinds of ugly until it can be integrated into the website.   Ahhh the trials as an entrepreneur – getting comfortable with imperfections. The positive flipside to just firing it out there is that it’s a comfy soft launch.  I’ve learned to cut myself slack and accept that it’s better to get a to-do done rather than wait until I can do it perfectly because I can be a heck of a cog in my own wheel.  There’s a never ending list of to-do’s to prioritize and execute on and not enough time or resources as a sole business owner to get everything done. I’m looking forward to Mike integrating this blog content soonly into my website and that’s the way uh huh, uh huh, I’ll like it!

Twitter

We’re twittering daily about cupcake & booze pairings, new menu items and occasional celeb sightings. Follow Sweet Revenge at http://www.twitter.com/SweetRevengeNYC.

Facebook

The existing Facebook fanclub group Sweet Revenge is getting a makeover in the first quarter. Stay tuned!

In the Kitchen

Developing a Brunch menu!

Brunch at Sweet Revenge

We’re in recipe development mode for our brunch menu which I expect to debut in March.   We’ll be hitting our stride just as the weather gets better and New Yorkers venture out of hibernation. As we develop the recipes, patrons will taste-test on the house and provide valuable feedback. Be sure to stop by Sweet Revenge on the weekends in January and February. Bring your appetite and no-holds barred opinions!

Advertising

I just started advertising with Yelp to position Sweet Revenge as a wine bar, and I’m already seeing signs of success.   It is mission critical that I build the wine bar business to prop up SR during these notoriously slow, cold months and help me hit a stronger stride by spring.  By solidifying the escapist, indulgent experience of pairing wine, beer and cupcakes, I’m capitalizing on Sweet Revenge’s points of differentiation and will improve core business as a result.

A look back at 2009 and what a year it was!

Sweet Revenge at 62 Carmine Street in Manhattan's West Village

I had an amazing first full fiscal year. Thank you to everyone for spreading the word about Sweet Revenge.  Word of mouth, the blogging community, and the unbelievably great press I received propelled my small business through a tough economy.  I’m so grateful.

January:

Martha Stewart Show – made the Pure cupcake, talked about cupcake, beer & wine pairings. Re-aired in June.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/sweet-revenges-pure-cupcakes

February:

Fox 5 Good Day NY – made the Crimson & Cream for Valentine’s day, talked about Prosecco pairing

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/090210_Raspberry_Red_Velvet_Cupcakes_Recipe_from_Sweet_Revenge

The Feedbag.com interview –

http://www.the-feedbag.com/the-sit-down/very-adult-cupcake-and-wine-shop-flourishes-in-west-village

Encore Performing Arts Magazine writeup BAMbill (Brooklyn Academy of Music)

March:

NYC’s Department of Juvenile Justice Key Note Speaker for Women’s History Month

Click to access women_history_month_2009.pdf

April:

Time Out NY Magazine’s 2009 Eat Out Award “Best Case Against the Cupcake Backlash”

http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/eat-out-awards/73188/eat-out-awards-2009-best-case-against-cupcake-backlash-sweet-revenge

Daba Girls writeup – http://www.dabagirls.com/category/daba-support-group-stories/dabit-speak/

Pastry Scoop interview – http://www.pastryscoop.com/thescoop_femme_fatale_0409.html

May:

Bon Appetit Magazine Seville Savory Cake Recipe

WNBC Today in New York segment with DabaGirls.com Laney Crowell

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/around_town/the_scene/Is_the_Economy_Taxing_Your_Love_Life__New_York.html

June:

Serious Eats writeup – http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/06/dirty-at-sweet-revenge-cupcakes-chocolate-nyc-west-village.html

July:

Fox 5 Recession Friendly Wedding Tips segment

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/your_money/consumer/090716_Recession_Weddings_3

Zagat New York City Food Lover’s Guide – highly rated!

NYC Food Guy writeup – http://nycfoodguy.com/2009/07/08/cupcakes-wine-and-beer/

CupcakesTakeTheCake Blog – Sweet Revenge’s 1 Year Anniversary interview with Rachel

http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/2009/07/cupcake-video-interview-with-marlo.html

http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/2009/07/happy-one-year-anniversary-sweet.html

Food Mayhem writeup – http://www.foodmayhem.com/2009/07/sweet-revenge.html

August:

Aug 6th Interview on 101.9 RXP’s The Rock Show w/ Matt Pinfield & Leslie Fram

New York Magazine’s Listing in the City’s Best Ice Cream Sandwiches

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2009/08/the_best_new_ice_cream_sandwic.html

New York Magazine’s Grub Street writeup on best cupcakes –

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2009/08/cupcake_tasting_round_two.html

Time Out NY Magazine’s Weekend To-Do

http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/tonyblog/2009/08/the-weekends-five-big-events-and-what-to-do-after/

Featured in “Cafe Sweets”, a Japanese magazine, in their Top 10 Cupcake Stores in NYC

http://www.shibatashoten.co.jp/

GraceNotesNYC writeup for Best Vanilla Cupcake in the City –

http://gracenotesnyc.com/2009/08/10/cupcake-cagematch-results-best-vanilla-cupcake-in-nyc/

September:

The StreetTV.com Small Business Channel Video Interview

http://www.thestreet.com/video/10593275/sweet-tips-to-beat-the-recession.html

October:

AM New York Article “Sinful pair: Sweets, spirits” Oct 23-25 Weekend Issue

Time Out NY Magazine’s Carmine Street profile

http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/shopping/79933/field-trip-to-carmine-street

Behind The Burner interview – http://behindtheburner.com/video/watch/grown-up-cupcakes-with-marlo-scott-at-sweet-revenge-nyc

Reebok/Real Housewives of NYC PR event at Sweet Revenge

November:

PBS WNET show with Mike Colameco

December:

Time Out NY Magazine’s Top 10 Blind Date Bars List

http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/sex-dating/81054/best-blind-date-spots

FriendsEat – http://blog.friendseat.com/cupcakes-are-the-latest-food-trend/

Serious Eats – http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/12/sugar-rush-banana-oatmeal-cake-at-sweet-revenge-west-village-manhattan.html