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Rows of specialty cupcakes sit on display at Sugarland, a locally owned bakery on historic Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Sugarland specializes in fresh Italian gelato, organic cakes made entirely from local ingredients, and custom-blended coffee and other beverages. Sugarland is expanding its business and opening a new dessert cafe in Raleigh's own Cameron Village. The new Sugarland location is slated to open early next year. Photo by Megan Farrell
Sugarland , currently located on East Franklin Street near UNC-Chapel Hill, is planning on opening up a new store in Cameron Village around Valentine’s Day 2012.
If the lease is resigned on Franklin Street, the Raleigh location will be an expansionary store; if not, Sugarland will be moving to Raleigh. They are known mostly for their cupcakes, gelato and a full-service bar that incorporates the 24 daily gelato flavors into various frozen martinis.
Katrina Ryan, who serves as co-owner along with her husband, said the lease negotiations for the store location in Cameron Village are underway. Ryan said there are no disagreements regarding the leasing contract and it is simply the final formalities that are being worked out.
“It is an old building and various things have to be paid for before the actual handing over of the keys,” Ryan said.
After three-and-a-half years of success, the owners were looking forward to expanding and making their services and products more accessible to the greater North Carolina community. Sugarland has been featured on Food Network, the Martha Stewart Show and have done cakes for First Lady Michelle Obama. They were invited to participate in Food Network’s Cupcake Wars in July, but were unable to do so because of scheduling conflicts.
Their current location was appropriate for their initial start three years ago, but with their current success, they have grown out of their Franklin Street location. They have little space, no coolers and limited parking for their workers, who often have to arrive to start the baking day very early in the morning.
Sugarland is reconsidering the resigning of the lease on Franklin Street. New parking regulations by the city of Chapel Hill have made business tougher. They hope to have a decision made regarding the status of the store on Franklin Street very soon.
If they are to move and not expand, they will be welcoming all of the current 26 employees to work at the new Raleigh location. Regardless of the move or expansion, they hope to hire around 15 to 20 new members at their new location, several of which they expect to be NCSU students. However, they expect most of the pastry chefs and gelato makers to continue on with them to their Raleigh location.
Ryan has currently hired extra baking staff in order to train them at the current location before the split or the move occurs.
With the new location being twice as large as the current location, Ryan conveyed her great excitement about the new store. She hopes to also be able to experiment and offer a potential brunch menu over the weekend at the Cameron Village location along with their current products.
Both Ryan and her husband traveled to Italy and learned to make gelato under various traditional gelato maestros. Ryan still writes every gelato recipe and then trains her two gelato staff members to recreate her recipes precisely.
Her pastry chefs all have strong backgrounds with degrees from renowned culinary institutes.
“The cake decorators both have art degrees, so we have a knowledgeable staff,” Ryan added.
“Each 4 oz serving of gelato made at Sugarland has around 90-140 calories, whereas Coldstone’s 4 oz servings contain around 400 calories, so this is definitely a healthier alternative,” Ryan said.
Ryan said she is not worried about competition from Goodberry’s or The Cupcake Shoppe near the new location.
“Nobody does what we do,” she said, “and once the customers taste our products I am sure they will be coming back for more. I believe we have no competition.”
Christy Holdsclaw , a freshman in psychology said she was looking forward to the store.
”I love cupcakes and gelato and Cameron Village is pretty close so I am very excited about their opening and will definitely be trying out,” she said.
The new location is expected to open right beside Priscilla of Boston in Cameron Village somewhere between Valentine’s Day and April 1. Katrina also includes there will be a grand opening party with lots of free products and they will start off with a big bang.
John Pharr , senior vice president for Regency, said although only paperwork is left, nothing is set in stone, however, because the costs involved haven’t been laid out yet. He said he has seen deals fall through this late.
“She is still in that vital discovery phase. We’re hopeful.”