Elizabeth has a blog

BY: Elizabeth Kotz, Vi Nguyen, and Nimrah Pervez
Chicago

Cakes are cumbersome. Cupcakes, on the other hand, are compact confectionary treats- the perfect baked good for any glutton on-the-go. The Flirty Cupcakes truck, a mobile mini bakery, roams city streets seeking to satisfy the sweet teeth of busy Chicagoans.

Tiffany Kurtz, owner and founder of the Flirty Cupcakes, attributes her novel idea not to big city trends, but to enjoyable moments from her childhood. Kurtz began the venture with her husband, Chris Sewell.

“I remember being so excited when I heard the ice cream truck coming,” she said, “then I saw this beat up old truck sitting on the street, and it all just came together. While I wouldn’t chase after ice cream now, I would chase after cupcakes.”

While it seems simple enough, getting the project up and running turned out to be more sweat and sugar than Kurtz initially anticipated. With Sewell, she worked on the project throughout the winter before finally revving up the van on May 1st.

“There were a lot of regulations and ordinances we had to follow, but we kept at it and finally launched,” Kurtz said.

The regulations she refers to include one that particularly mandates for mobilized food to be prepared in a licensed commercialized kitchen. This is where Kurtz’s “sweet staff” comes in to play.

The chefs at Flirty Cupcakes begin preparing the desserts at 3 a.m. They offer seven different types of cupcakes daily, including the “Chocolate Best Friend Forever” and the “Curious George,” two favorites among consumers. Red velvet cupcakes also sell out consistently, under the nickname “Devil in Disguise.”

Flirty also holds weekly specials, rotating themed concoctions such as the Mother’s Day cupcake, a white chocolate cupcake covered in blackberry frosting, amongst their usual offerings. The cupcakes are loaded up in the morning, and taken all over the city to anxious fans awaiting their arrival.

“The followers do most of the work for us”, laughed Kurtz, “They tell us where they are, and request us to go places.”

Her customers are loyal followers – social media followers. Flirty Cupcakes depends almost entirely on social media to fuel its mobile business. The employees tweet the daily schedule as well as listen to feedback and requests from customers.

With almost 40,000 followers on Twitter and 11,003 fans on Facebook, the cupcake business has officially entered cyberspace. Sending messages from the van, members of the team announce locations as they approach. November 11^th, Flirty Cupcakes announced it’s first stop outside DePaul University via the company’s Twitter page.

“It’s great because we have regulars now. We see them on our Facebook wall, and at certain usual locations,” said Kurtz.

The success of Flirty Cupcakes is not limited to social media outlets. Recently gaining city-wide notoriety, Flirty Cupcakes has been featured on TV shows such as WGN’s Chicago’s Best, Chicago Foodies while receiving press from the Chicago SunTimes.

They have also been an inspiration to entrepreneurs all over the city, many of whom request guidance from the woman who started it all here in Chicago.

“I get emails daily from people wanting advice. I try and help them out because I think this is a great addition to the city,” Kurtz said.

Recent months have seen a slew of mobile, mouth-watering operations sprout up throughout the city, “Gaztro-wagon,” “Meatyballs Truck”, and “Bodega Truck” being other recent additions to the gang of travelling, Twittering, snack purveyors. Flirty Cupcakes and its fellow Facebook-friendly food marts are part of an actively growing trend, poised to completely alter Chicago’s urban food landscape.

These mini-restaurants on wheels all embrace a similar concept- good food sold in a cute, convenient, cash-friendly way, and available at the curb.

“With the hustle and bustle of a big city, being able to step outside to the warm and tasty bliss of a fresh cupcake is just what the people need,” Kurtz said. “People like the idea of being able to grab a cupcake without completely detouring,” she said. “It is just easier for some people.”

Flirty’s dusty blue van is a beacon of tasty baked goods, so easily recognizable that its drivers have dubbed it “Big Blue”. “I work in a building downtown, and I just saw it,” said Marsela Rugo, a customer waiting for her frosting fix while the van sat at Van Buren and Financial. Chicago’s suits frequently stumble upon Flirty Cupcakes as it traces the downtown Loop. “I’m on my lunch, and wanted to give it a try.”

This idea of “grab-and-go” required some tweaking after more regulations changed Kurtz’s initial idea. In addition to being prepared beforehand, the city ordered the cupcakes to be pre-packaged. This next step opened a window of opportunity for Kurtz, who has an extensive background in marketing, to get creative. She calls her packaging “gift boxes” which adds to the personal, nostalgic appeal of Flirty Cupcakes.

“They are great cupcakes that are convenient, but it is also fun,” Kurtz said. Especially for the people who follow our daily schedule and go looking for us.”

The thrill of the hunt draws repeat customers and first-time Flirty patrons alike, as well as anyone who appreciates a mid-day sugar snack.

“I just Tweeted my wife and told her she would have a surprise when she gets home,” said Ryan Schwinster, while standing in line to pay for a chocolate cupcake. “I try and spot the van first, but I still use my sense of smell as back-up.”

Flirty Cupcakes Route for November 15th, 2010

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