A new York County bakery opens Saturday with free cupcakes. Here’s how to get one.
There are lots of ways to celebrate a new store opening, but few as sweet as free cupcakes.
“As long as they last,” said Kelly Foster, owner of the Sugarlicious shop that will open at 11 a.m. Saturday morning in Lake Wylie.
Free cupcakes for early guests are just the beginning. Sugarlicious will bring many of the same favorites to Lake Wylie that have made its Gastonia, North Carolina location popular the past 14 years. Foster bought the business almost three years ago from an owner who shared a vision for expansion.
“I knew when I bought it, I wanted to open one in Lake Wylie,” Foster said.
Foster lives in York County. She spent 23 years with Wells Fargo, many of them at the Lake Wylie branch. She goes to church in Clover and has a daughter at Clover High School.
“I know a lot of people in Lake Wylie,” she said.
Sugarlicious will be an opportunity to meet more. The shop will be open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It’s at 4543 Charlotte Hwy, suite 16 across the main highway from Copper Premium Pub. It will operate similar to the Gastonia location.
“The biggest thing we do is probably our cupcakes and our sliced cakes,” Foster said. “We’ll have five different slice cakes daily. We have about 30 different cupcakes, and we will be offering gourmet coffee.”
Sugarlicious will have custom orders, like wedding and birthday cakes. By summer next year, the Lake Wylie Sugarlicious will have another Gaston County treat, Tony’s Ice Cream.
While 2020 has been a tough year for business — South Carolina went from record low to record high unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic — there are positive signs in Lake Wylie. Susan Bromfield, president of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce, recently had in inquiry about retail space available and realized there is almost none.
“All in all I think our businesses have worked through the shocking time in the spring and made adjustments to keep on going,” she said.
Bromfield sees potential for a new bakery, in particular.
“Food, people always have to eat whether they’re taking it home,” she said. “Lately, bakery goods have made a comeback. So those are good signs.”
Or, maybe strange times could be good for attracting customers to a sweet shop.
“Maybe with the way things are going,” Bromfield said, “they’re all looking for a little treat.”
Foster said Sugarlicious will be a gathering spot on Friday nights at 7 p.m. for anyone who would like prayer.
“That’s real important to me,” Foster said. “It’s a ministry.”
