Kristina Lavallee, left, poses with a Cinderella castle cake.
The Cake Girl as a concept was born in Puerto Rico after spending “countless hours” in the kitchen.
Kristina Lavallee spent those hours in the kitchen with her mother Margarita Perez, a professional chef, where she learned her love of baking.
“She taught me the value of hard work and the importance of doing things the right way,” she said. “Baking quickly became my creative outlet and a way to make people smile.”
Kristina Lavallee and her husband, Kirby, launched The Cake Girl in 2016.
“Our journey has been incredible. We started as a food truck, just the two of us, handling everything from baking to customer service,” Kristina Lavallee said.
The brand has since transitioned to a brick-and-mortar bakery in Tampa, Florida. The Cake Girl started franchising in January.
The franchise is looking for operators who are partners with the brand, rather than a “typical” franchisor-franchisee relationship, said Kirby Lavallee, chief success coach.
“We’re looking for people that share our core values with us and are willing to work hard to make sure that we’re upholding the brand standards and what we believe in,” he said.
Kristina Lavallee, middle, started The Cake Girl as a food truck in 2016 with her husband, Kirby.
The menu includes a weekly cupcake flavor lineup—this week’s features a cookie butter-filled cupcake and a banana split-inspired cupcake—as well as cake jars called Crave’n Cups and ice cream.
The Cake Girl also creates custom cakes with plenty of options for flavors, fillings and icing. There are even options for dairy free, vegan and gluten free. Some of The Cake Girl’s custom creations include a life-like Yeti cooler, a realistic takeout container of Chinese food and a “Nightmare Before Christmas” scene.
“We also innovate constantly. Whether it’s 3D cakes, mini cupcakes, or unique flavors inspired by my Puerto Rican roots, we are always pushing the boundaries,” Kristina Lavallee said.
Community engagement is at the forefront of The Cake Girl.
“What truly made us stand out, though, was our focus on the experience—not just the cake,” Kristina Lavallee said. “We wanted every customer to feel special and every product to be crafted with care. That focus on dedicated service and passion for perfection became our signature.”
“We’re not so much just waiting for the customers to come to us, but we’re very involved in the fabric of people’s everyday lives,” Kirby Lavallee said.
Because the desserts are all made in-house, the flagship store in Tampa spans 2,000 square feet to accommodate a kitchen.
“We don’t mass-produce desserts,” Kristina Lavallee said. “Every cake, cupcake, and treat is crafted from scratch with the finest ingredients. Our custom cakes are edible works of art.”
Multi-unit franchisees can build what Kirby Lavallee called “feeder stores,” in which they have one large production bakery that “feeds” a handful of smaller storefronts closer to 500 or 750 square feet.
For now, The Cake Girl is looking to expand in its home state of Florida, but Kirby Lavallee has seen interest from prospects in the Midwest, too.
“We’re really focusing on being able to support our franchisees in the process and make sure that we’re developing a very sound strategy as we expand,” he said.
