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Apr 23, 2023

Cake Gypsy continues to grow with new, and renewed, locations on the way

Cake Gypsy has returned to Canton where it all started and will soon open in

Cake Gypsy has returned to Canton where it all started and will soon open in West Hartford as part of a flurry of expansion that will include chocolate, cookie and ice cream shops.

"We wouldn't be here today if not for the loyal support from the Canton community in the very beginning," said owner Deanna Damen. "What I love about the Farmington Valley is the customers are awesome. It's like one big family."

Damen formerly owned a temporary employment agency but left that business when the field shifted to sites such as Monster.com.

While trying to find a new career, she took a cake decorating class and was so good, she was hired to teach classes. Always creative and always a baker, Damen opened Cake Gypsy in a small space in Canton in 2008. She started by selling cakes, but the cupcakes became so popular that she needed the oven space and stopped making cakes. She kept the name the same.

She outgrew the Canton space, couldn't find a space big enough in town and opened the store in Avon in 2015.

The business, offering more than 60 types of creative cupcake flavors with and without filling, became wildly popular. Today, she sells about 2,000 cupcakes per day. Among the most popular flavors are red velvet, carrot cake, salted caramel, chocolate lovers, lemon and peanut butter cup.

"I love that it brings happiness to people and I love the creative part," Damen said. "Doing things outside the box. Creating something not out there yet and putting my spin to it."

Damen said one of the secrets to her tasty cupcakes is that she uses all the best ingredients.

"When you’re in the food business, it's all about using the best ingredients. No matter what, you use the best," she said.

Longtime customer turned friend, Sherrie Gioia, said not only are the cupcakes "fabulous," but so is Damen. Gioia, who runs a non-profit to benefit animals, said Damen has always donated generously to fundraisers and other community events.

"Her generosity knows no bounds," Gioia said, noting of the business, "it's like one of the most happiest places on earth like Disney. Everybody loves her cupcakes."

Matt Dingee, chairman of Canton's economic development agency, said Damen "has quite the following" and they’re delighted she's back in Canton.

"It helps diversify our retail offerings and brings something a little unique back to town," he said. "She's also a very good community member. She gives a lot back to the community."

Damen continues to find new creative business ideas that seem to work. During the COVID pandemic shutdown, she came out with a cupcake decorating kit for kids and said in about five months, she sold 8,000 of them. She also got in on the hot chocolate bomb craze at the right time. From Thanksgiving to Easter one year, she sold 40,000.

Damen's overall brand is in a period of growth. Soon she will open, The Chill Factory, an ice cream and cold treats shop in the Collinsville section of Canton at 100 Main St. The shop will also sell some cupcakes. The Avon location at 35 East Main St. will soon include The Enchanted Chocolate Factory and Bliss Cookie Company, which will carry French Macarons and other cookies in the neighboring building, and the two-story Cake Gypsy space in Canton at 220 Albany Turnpike will also include a space for cake decorating classes and parties.

The West Hartford Cake Gypsy at 1123 New Britain Ave. will open soon, and Damen also plans to reopen the Granby Cake Gypsy at 15 Hartford Ave. as soon as she finds a baker.

Damen said she has stopped projecting specific dates because something always gets delayed.

Rachel McGee of Canton goes to Cake Gypsy often with her 3-year-old daughter. She has been going to the Avon store and is now thrilled to have a shorter drive, McGee said.

"You walk in and it's like you’ve walked into the room of happiness," McGee said. "If you’re going to eat cupcakes, they almost feel like clean cupcakes because the ingredients are so fresh."

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