After winning Season 2 on Food Network's Cupcake Wars, House of Cupcakes had the necessary momentum to grow the business and start opening new stores. Based out of Princeton, NJ, the bakery offered over 40 delicious, award-winning cupcakes to locals, with plans to add new lines of branded cookies and ice creams. The third store, which opened May 2014, would be the flagship of the retail chain and a model for potential franchisees.
Eight weeks before its grand opening, House of Cupcakes and its partners invited Manifest to help design the retail experience for its flagship store in Clifton, NJ. The assignment: introduce two new sub-brands, design in-store signage to promote their product assortment and special occasions business, and enhance the parent brand to encourage franchise opportunities.
Aiming to make a big impression, House of Cupcakes sought to leverage the latest in digital signage technology for its menu boards. In order to effectively promote all their various messages, from limited-time offers and seasonal treats to highlighted products and special occasions packages, Manifest developed a scalable system that combined pricing, image-based grids, and rotating features in a hierarchical structure.
Leveraging our experience in architecture and retail spaces, Manifest provided recommendations for a custom-built display for House of Cupcakes’ new cookie line, as well as elevations with detailed instructions for the installation of in-store signage.
House of Cupcakes was opened in 2008 in Princeton, NJ by Ron and Ruthie Bzdewka, Season 2 winners of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. The bakery offers over 40 delicious, award winning cupcakes, as well as Ruthie’s Incredible Cookies, Ruthie’s Gourmet Ice Cream, cupcake minis, pull-apart cakes, gourmet coffee and more. In 2013, Steve Mandell, the founder of Party City, became a business partner with a mission to expand and open stores nationwide. Steve earned the distinguished title of “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst and Young in 1996, and is recognized as an expert in building successful franchises.
Advertising, Branding, Interactive, Print, Strategy
Branding, Copywriting, Marketing, Print, Strategy, UX/UI
Digital Menus, Photography, Retail, Strategy
Branding, Packaging, Strategy
Identity
