‘SOMETHING SWEET’ A TEMPTATION FOR TASTEBUDS
By Elizabeth Martinez // December 9, 2012
Bakery Won Recent 'Cupcakes Wars' Episode
BREVARD COUNTY • PORT ST. JOHN, FLORIDA – Some may have predicted that her fame and prosperity came from the Food Network’s television show “Cupcake Wars” in March, but to the understanding of her many clients, Johnnie Sue Messler’s success came prior to the show, nine years earlier to be exact.
It all started with the spark of inspiration that was ignited in her while preparing her son’s first birthday cake. Although she was working as a dental assistant at the time, Messler’s interest in the cake industry had not settled.
“My business actually did not begin until my daughter was 9 months old. We opened a cake studio in Titusville which was nothing like what my cake studio in Port St. John now looks like, it was a lot smaller and very vintage, in a 100-year-old building,” Messler said.
She described the space to be slightly tight which offered a cozier feel, yet aside from the physical impression that the Titusville location provided, the most impacting statement it made was the family aspect of the business.
Special hostess
Messler recalled the hostess as being her then 9-month old daughter crawling up to customers and welcoming them into their sweet abode.
Years later, the Something Sweet Cake Studio is still running on the fuel the family provides, with only a few extra hands at work on certain occasions.
“We still have the same customers and we’ve gained some more regulars, the only difference is that what I sold in the Titusville location in three days is what I sell in the Port St. John location in one day,” Messler said.
The new shop in Port St. John opened in January after Messler closed the Titusville bakery last December.
The business sells hundreds of different kinds of cupcakes, rotating about eight different ones every few days. And it also offers plenty of cakes, pies and a variety of other treats to please just about everyone at a reasonable price.
Never ceasing to amaze her customers, Johnnie Messler is always one step ahead of the game — during Hurricane Sandy instead of breaking out the shutters and hiding under the sheets, she and her family opened up the cake studio providing an array of sweets including a limited edition cupcake in honor of the hurricane, calling it a “little cocktail.”
Ambiance
It’s the hard work and the desire to succeed that filled the ambiance in the cake studio, the pink walls flourished the area, the sweet scents opened a desire for retrieval, and the hospitality made you feel as if you were in your home away from home.
To the right of the studio is where you are introduced to the preparation area, the counter holding all of tempting sweets and the mysterious kitchen barely seen in the back.
The ongoing demand from customers is the reasoning behind the spacious area which provides enough way for Johnnie Messler and her husband Shawn to move around each other while multi-tasking with different customers and orders.
Before Cupcake Wars, the Something Sweet Cake Studio was just that, a Cake Studio.
Everyone went in for their regular piece of dessert and ordered their special occasion cakes there as well.
High demand
Although its main job is primarily focused on the cupcakes right now, it is incredible how high the demand for theme-inspired, classic and special occasion cakes is.
“That’s why we have this seating area over here,” said Messler, pointing to the left side of the studio. “We provide cake tastings and we like having consultations with our customers just so we know exactly what they want. They get what they pay for and we make the best.”
Although no top secret recipes were shared because of family secrecy, I did unveil the dependency that this community has grown to establish on this small, family run cake studio.
I witnessed customers begging to know if there was just one more cupcake left, even after the “Sold Out” sign had gone up and their solemn faces soon illuminated after being reassured by the Messler’s that there would be more as always the next day.
This power couple works day in and day out on producing the absolute finest treats for their loyal customers and it came to no surprise after hearing how busy the studio kept them.
Shawn Messler actually had to leave his long-time well-paying job to come assist his wife in her ever growing business.
The feeling that rushes through you while you enter the studio is inexplicable, because for five minutes while being greeted and giving your order, you are taken out of small-town surroundings and transported o a modern day, city-like scenery, similar to the infamous “Serendipity” in New York City.
Jot down Something Sweet onto your list of places to see if you haven’t already.
The “As seen on Cup Cake Wars” sign is sure to give you goose bumps and the long-lasting taste of the legendary cupcakes leave a promising craving for more in the future.
Something Sweet is at 3740 Curtis Boulevard in Port St. John.
For more information, call 321-631-0021.
Elizabeth, if you are looking for another local Website to get some exposure on, you would be welcome to submit articles to Brevard Happening. You are a great writer. Let us know!