Georgetown Cupcake
Encyclopedia
Georgetown Cupcake is a cupcakery, located in the Georgetown
neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne opened the shop in February 2008.
, Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontage learned baking from their Greek grandmother. As kids, their grandmother allowed them to use leftover cake batter to make miniature cakes, such as cupcakes.
Before opening the shop, LaMontagne was working in Boston
for a venture capital firm, and Kallinis worked for Gucci
in Toronto. Kallinis, a graduate of Marymount University
and familiar with the Washington DC area, decided it would be a good place to open a cupcake shop. The sisters financed the shop using their own life savings, along with a small business loan. Their mother and employee, Elain Kallinis, also helps run the shop.
Kallinis and LaMontagne opened the shop in Georgetown in February 2008, in a small, white-framed house on Potomac Street. The shop quickly became popular, often running out of cupcakes during the day and then closing up shop until the following day.
By December 2009, Georgetown Cupcake outgrew the location and moved the shop to a new location at the corner of 33rd and M Street NW in Georgetown. Georgetown Cupcake has opened a second location in Bethesda, Maryland
, and sells cupcakes online. The shop maintains the Potomac Street location for filling mail and special orders. On weekends at the M Street location, lines extend out the door and around the corner. Customers consist equally of both tourists and locals.
and vanilla from Madagascar
. Each cupcake has roughly 250 calories, except for those with less frosting such as the Chocolate Ganache variety which have approximately 200 calories.
The shop sells an average of 5,000 cupcakes daily, red velvet
the top-seller. Each day, Georgetown Cupcake gives away 100 free cupcakes, at each location; they announce the free, not-on-the-menu flavor on Facebook
and Twitter
, and give them out to the first 100 customers who request them.
The sister`s are from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
filmed a reality series at Georgetown Cupcake, shadowing the sisters, telling their story, and aspects of running a small business. The six-part series, titled DC Cupcakes
, aired on Fridays in July 2010. The second season began on Friday, February 25, 2011.
Kallinis and LaMontagne have appeared as guests on numerous other television shows, including the Martha Stewart Show
, Rachel Ray show
, and NBC's Today Show.
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne opened the shop in February 2008.
History
Growing up in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontage learned baking from their Greek grandmother. As kids, their grandmother allowed them to use leftover cake batter to make miniature cakes, such as cupcakes.
Before opening the shop, LaMontagne was working in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
for a venture capital firm, and Kallinis worked for Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
in Toronto. Kallinis, a graduate of Marymount University
Marymount University
Marymount University is a coeducational, four-year Catholic university that has its main campus located in Arlington, Virginia. Marymount offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a wide range of disciplines and has a diverse and welcoming academic community with approximately 3,600...
and familiar with the Washington DC area, decided it would be a good place to open a cupcake shop. The sisters financed the shop using their own life savings, along with a small business loan. Their mother and employee, Elain Kallinis, also helps run the shop.
Kallinis and LaMontagne opened the shop in Georgetown in February 2008, in a small, white-framed house on Potomac Street. The shop quickly became popular, often running out of cupcakes during the day and then closing up shop until the following day.
By December 2009, Georgetown Cupcake outgrew the location and moved the shop to a new location at the corner of 33rd and M Street NW in Georgetown. Georgetown Cupcake has opened a second location in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, and sells cupcakes online. The shop maintains the Potomac Street location for filling mail and special orders. On weekends at the M Street location, lines extend out the door and around the corner. Customers consist equally of both tourists and locals.
Cupcakes
Georgetown Cupcake offers eighteen flavors daily, including multiple varieties of chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet that are available each day, three seasonal flavors, and other flavours on rotation throughout the week. The cupcakes are baked throughout the day at the shop, and use specially-sourced ingredients such as cocoa from FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and vanilla from Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. Each cupcake has roughly 250 calories, except for those with less frosting such as the Chocolate Ganache variety which have approximately 200 calories.
The shop sells an average of 5,000 cupcakes daily, red velvet
Red velvet cake
A red velvet cake is a cake with a dark red, bright red or red-brown color. It is usually prepared as a layer cake with either a vanilla, or chocolate flavor, topped with a creamy white icing or a cookie dough filling...
the top-seller. Each day, Georgetown Cupcake gives away 100 free cupcakes, at each location; they announce the free, not-on-the-menu flavor on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, and give them out to the first 100 customers who request them.
The sister`s are from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Television
During winter and spring of 2010, TLCTLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
filmed a reality series at Georgetown Cupcake, shadowing the sisters, telling their story, and aspects of running a small business. The six-part series, titled DC Cupcakes
DC Cupcakes
DC Cupcakes is an American reality television series that follows sisters and business partners Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis as they run Georgetown Cupcake, a small cupcakery located in Washington, D.C....
, aired on Fridays in July 2010. The second season began on Friday, February 25, 2011.
Kallinis and LaMontagne have appeared as guests on numerous other television shows, including the Martha Stewart Show
Martha (TV series)
Martha, also known as The Martha Stewart Show, is an American, weekday one-hour talk show hosted by Martha Stewart. Previously airing in first-run syndication, the show began exclusively airing on cable network Hallmark Channel since September 13, 2010.-History:The program originally debuted on...
, Rachel Ray show
Rachael Ray (TV series)
Rachael Ray, also known as The Rachael Ray Show, is a talk show starring Rachael Ray that debuted in syndication in the United States and Canada on September 18, 2006....
, and NBC's Today Show.
External links
- Georgetown Cupcake (official site)
- DC Cupcakes - TLC