More Than Scrumptious
“Cupcakes!” yelled Sophia Soumakis, younger daughter of Scrumptious co-owner Kiki Soumakis. It was early Sept 8., and the sun had yet smoothed out its warm, morning colors.
Soumakis, along with her sister and partner Anne Gianopoulos, had arrived at their cupcake shop along Route 52 in Carmel at 5 a.m. to fulfill an order of almost 5 dozen cupcakes.
“The hours are probably the most difficult part of being a business owner,” Soumakis said. “It’s a seven-day-a-week job, sometimes 15 hours per day. If we have a big cupcake order, we have to get here very, very early.”
Despite only being open since Aug. 19, the two sisters have seen a substantial amount of business, most of it coming from the hustle and bustle of after-school hours and the loyalty of repeat customers. Soumakis said Scrumptious is in the “perfect location,” with its storefront facing a busy Route 52.
“My husband was driving through Carmel and he comes home and says ‘I found the perfect space for our cupcake shop,’” Soumakis said. “I wanted it to be a place that had sidewalks so anybody could walk to it.”
The former stay-at-home mom of 14 years said she wanted a store that would reflect the welcoming atmosphere her large family. Soumakis and Gianopoulos, who have three and four children respectively, said that Scrumptious offers customers a place to bring their children and a cozy atmosphere to grab a cup of coffee, a sandwich or a cupcake.
“I love cupcakes, my kids love cupcakes, my nieces and nephews love cupcakes,” Soumakis said. “[Scrumptious] is something fun, a go-to place where you can grab a quick, easy treat.”
Soumakis’ willingness to experiment with different flavors and receive suggestions from customers has allowed her to try out new recipes each week and deliver an array of delicious-tasting cupcakes.
Scrumptious has recently taken on a gluten-free baker, who cooks offsite to avoid any cross- contamination. The Patterson resident has even taken recommendations for vegan-style cupcakes to include a larger audience of customers.
“I’m trying to familiarize myself with veganism, because there is no substitute for eggs in cooking,” Soumakis said. “I’m always willing to experiment, and I’m very open to taking suggestions from my customers.”
Although there has been a recent craze of cupcake television shows that test out wild flavors like cayenne pepper and produce wild, over-the-top projects, Soumakis said she enjoys sticking with basic flavors like chocolate and vanilla.
“We’re not like one of those crazy, cupcake shops,” Soumakis said. “We do your basic, old-fashioned cupcakes.”
No matter how basic the flavor is, however, Soumakis said she enjoys producing cupcakes that kids, parents and seniors all appreciate eating. The Scrumptious co-owner said she’s grateful and lucky to have the support of the community of Carmel to get her lifetime passion of cooking and baking off the ground.
“I love the town of Carmel, they’re really wonderful people here,” Soumakis said. “They have truly welcomed us and given us positive feedback—I’m happy that we decided to do business here.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.