Meet Kelsey Delgado of Spots Cupcakes in South Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Delgado.

Kelsey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was in my fourth year of college I wanted earn some extra cash and at that moment I was a full time student who was not working. Every now and then I would babysit and do some waiting jobs but that was it. So early 2012 I started baking cupcakes at home for fun and that’s when the idea came up that I should start selling cupcakes. So on April 2012 I created my Facebook page and started posting pictures of my cupcakes. My first cupcakes did not look great but I have always been a person who tries to always make it better. I slowly started getting followers on Facebook and in college pretty much people knew me as the cupcake girl. Eventually I got better and my cupcakes look good. My first priority was that they tasted good before they look good but my goal is always been that they should taste as good as it looks good. I had some customers every now and then but there where sometimes where my cupcakes did not make it to its destination. My first customer was for Mother’s Day and I was pleased at how they turned out but I had never really thought about how I would be transporting them. When I got to the delivery destination those cupcakes had met an awful fate and I ended up not charging for them. I felt so embarrassed and disappointed with myself but I learned from that experience that I need to get proper packaging. I have a lot of ups and downs in this cupcake journey but I have learned from those experiences and it has helped me to always amp my game. On my last year of college I got my first big order of cupcakes for a fundraiser. My major was Television, Film and Media my classmates and I were planning the Film Festival for that year and we had to raise money, so we plan a bake sale. That day I had to make over 500 cupcakes of multiple flavors and I wanted to make them look great. So that was the start of the many sleepless nights I would have. My friend Maribel the next day offer to help me transport them by then I was prepared she drove because there was no way I was going to drive like that. I don’t know how I made it to the end but with the help of my classmates the bake sale was a success. That year I graduated and got my Bachelor’s Degree and moved on to getting a job at dick Clark productions, Inc.

During my time at dick Clark I had stopped my baking since it was more of a hobby then an actual business. Maybe once in a while I would get do an order but I was not trying to put Spots Cupcakes to the public since I was very busy at my job. Everything seem to be going well until my grandmother’s health took a deep steep. My grandmother raised me since I was little along with my youngest three aunts. By age 11 it was me and my grandmother. So I have been by her side all my life and have seen how her health has been slowly deteriorating through the years but 2015 was very hard on her. She was hospitalized 7 to 8 times in 3 to 4 month period. At work I had already used all my sick and vacation time and I was finding very hard to balance my personal life with my work life. I had to take a decision and knew that it was not professional of me to be out of work for so much time plus I had no one to look after my grandmother at home, unfortunately I had to leave my job. Although it was very hard for me I knew it was for the best. I believe that family should come first and that soon this too should pass.

For a couple of months I was at home without working and the good thing is that I have always saved money. My grandmother had a couple of hospitalizations in the next year but not as much. Eventually my savings were almost gone so I had to find a way of making money from home. The good thing is that I had not fully put an end to Spots Cupcakes and I started to be active on social media. I started baking from home more and more. Word of mouth started spreading and the business slowly started picking up. One of my youngest aunts Ada works with different people doing several jobs. Ada soon becomes very important part of Spots Cupcakes because she starts spreading the word to everyone she knows and the baking business starts to slowly grow. Meanwhile I become more active on social media especially on Instagram and my pictures start reaching out to other customers. I was happy that business was picking up but I did not realize it would become very busy, until I started to bake for Jay Fagnano. One of Ada’s jobs is waiting and helping out in the kitchen for Thrive Kitchen LA. Ada starts getting me some waiting jobs with Thrive Kitchen LA and that’s where I get to meet Jay Fagnano who is the owner and chef. Ada starts telling Jay that I know how to bake and that I make great cupcakes so Jay decides to hire my services. Now I have never been busier than ever because I’m pretty much baking every day. Ada helps me make the deliveries and my cousins are helping me at my kitchen. The best part is that I get to be my own boss, manage my own time, and get to look after my grandmother.

Everything I do is made from scratch and I do the fondant decorations by hand. I started off making cupcakes but now I do all kinds of desserts including tartlets, eclairs, cheesecakes, cakes, donuts, and more. I manage my website, and social media plus I do my own photography. It has gotten so busy that I am looking into getting my own little bakery. Every now and then I get call from potential customers asking me if Spots Cupcakes is a store front and I hate to disappoint them. I have several projects on my hand but I don’t want to jump in so quickly.

Has it been a smooth road?
One of the bumps in my life was putting my film career on hold and not pursuing it. Others time have been where the cupcakes don’t come out as planned or that they don’t get to their destination. For me is hard work making them and to have them destroyed it hurts. It’s hard to gain a customer but easy to lose one.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Spots Cupcakes is about baking cupcakes, cakes and desserts all from scratch. I strive in always making delicious baked goods and that they also look good. Presentation over taste is not my motto. I specialize in cupcakes and making custom fondant decorations by hand. Another specialty of mine are cake pops and tartlets which have become customer favorites. I’m most proud of Spots Cupcakes and as a baker because for the most part it has been a one man band. I do everything by myself including website management, social media, photography, company design, and even delivery. However, with all the business I am getting lately I am getting some help from my aunts and cousins. In a time where cupcake shops have been done and the fad about them is gone I still believe that Spots Cupcakes stands out is from where it came from not Beverly Hills, New York City, but from a small home kitchen and that a self-thought baker passionately makes desserts.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I do believe Los Angeles is a good place to start a business since it is a city so diverse in food and so open minded about it. I feel like there is always an opportunity for new businesses and ideas and that people will like them. When it comes to bakeries there will always be a demand for desserts for special occasions because who doesn’t have a birthday, baby shower, or wedding. If someone is starting out I would recommend to start no matter where they are and if they are in Los Angeles, go for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.spotscupcakes.com
• Phone: 213-640-7903
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spotscupcakes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spotscupcakes
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/spots-cupcakes-los-angeles-2?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Image Credit:
Kelsey Delgado, Maribel Corona

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