By Jeneé Osterheldt | The Kansas City Star
Renee Kloeblen was so savvy with Twitter and Facebook that social networking drove her cupcake sales. Now it has taken her show on the road.
Six months ago, her budding business, Takes the Cake Bakery, operated in her Shawnee kitchen and her car. Now, it has expanded to CoffeeCakeKC, a food truck she runs with Brian Jurgens, 40, owner of E.F. Hobbs Specialty Coffee in Shawnee.
How did it happen so quickly? A leap of faith and the kindness of strangers.
Online friends helped spread the word about Renee’s sweets. They ordered her cakes and invited her to their events. She’d show up with her cupcakes at burlesque shows and dance parties. She hosted a tasting party. Her red velvet, chocolate peanut butter and strawberry lemonade became hits.
And then a mutual Twitter friend brought her and Brian together. It was a no-brainer to join forces. Despite the growing number of cupcake businesses in town, Renee says her confidence grew. No one had a coffee-and-cupcake truck or her online legion of customers.
Through research, she found Kickstarter, an online fundraising platform with an all-or-nothing attitude. She applied, was accepted and established a goal of raising $8,500 in 55 days.
If she met her goal, she had backers to reward (free cupcakes, T-shirts, names on the truck). If not, everyone got their money back.
By mid-August, just weeks after her 29th birthday, Renee met her goal with a few hundred dollars to spare.
“I cried. I hoped people would believe in it but I know times are hard. I don’t have a business degree. I’m self-taught. I was a part-time nanny and full-time mom. But people stepped in and helped make this happen. Kansas City is eager to support local businesses and now there’s no room for failure. We want this to work.”
The blazing orange truck took to the Kansas City streets two weeks ago. Renee and Brian admit it’s a learning process.
Some days Renee sells out in an hour; other days it’s harder to get the rhythm. They sell fresh coffee as well as espressos, lattes, cappuccinos and more. Renee brings about 50 cupcakes from home in a variety of flavors. She hopes to triple the daily inventory by next summer.
They tweet their times and locations (@coffeecakekc) Tuesday through Saturday, often making stops on Hospital Hill and throughout downtown Kansas City. They also make stops by request. Their website is coffeecakekc.com.
On a Tuesday afternoon, people lined up at their double sliding window. A fridge, sink, cabinets and a coffee station sit neatly inside. Christmas lights and cupcake ornaments line the interior of the truck. It’s not seasonal décor; it’s intended to be year-round flair. Coffee ornaments are next.
So far, Renee says, the biggest lessons she has learned are the importance of patience and the value of building relationships. It’s their goal to join forces with other local businesses and continue to build a fan base.
“It’s true about no one being self-made, it takes a village. And the support has been overwhelming.”
