Amid rising sales and the debut of a new bakery design, Gigi’s Cupcakes, America’s largest cupcake and specialty baked goods franchise, plans to open 25 locations this year.
Through the first quarter 2015, Gigi’s Cupcakes saw same-store sales—a key indicator of a retail company’s health—increase more than 4 percent. In the same period, total sales grew 22 percent at the more than 90 Gigi’s Cupcakes locations.
Company executives attribute the sales growth partly to the brand’s strategic efforts to diversify its product offerings. In recent years, Gigi’s Cupcakes has added cheesecakes, pies, bread loaves, specialty coffee, and more to drive more guests to its bakeries across multiple dayparts. Those newer menu items are in addition to the 40 million cupcakes the brand has sold since its founding in 2008.
“With delicious products inspired by the freshness and high quality of our gourmet cupcakes, we’re giving guests more reasons than ever to visit our bakeries,” says Gigi’s Cupcakes CEO Alan Thompson. “Our diversified menu, bolstered leadership team, and new bakery prototype are spurring demand from new and existing franchisees to open more locations.”
In a move to further grow sales of the brand’s diverse menu, Gigi’s Cupcakes recently unveiled a new bakery prototype in Jonesboro, Arkansas; Fargo, North Dakota; Kansas City, Missouri; and Jackson, Tennessee. The new design features upgrades such as refrigerated bakery cases, high-definition electronic menuboards, as well as greater seating capacity compared to traditional locations.
Gigi’s Cupcakes has opened three franchise locations this year with nine more currently under development. The brand is seeking franchisees to open additional locations throughout the country.
