Local bakery aims to be original every day

Nestled in the middle of LakeSide Market on Preston Road, a local bakery offers walk-in customers new aromas and unique flavors of cupcakes, crepes and macarons each day. Customers are greeted with a rustically decorated shop where the walls are adorned with quotes written in calligraphy and cupcakes sit atop cake plates surrounded by timber and antique birdcages.

Born and raised in Plano, owner Rachel Barbaro opened Sugar Ray's Bake Shop in November 2013. She designed her store to represent Texas and dares to be different from other bakeries by offering unique flavors each day.

"What makes me different is I don't have a set menu. My menu changes every single day," Barbaro said.

Each day Barbaro bakes seven to eight flavors of cupcakes ($3 each) to feature in the glass display case. Every treat is made fresh the morning it goes out on display, and most days, Barbaro said she does not know what flavors will be featured until she gets to work at 8 a.m.

She said the surprise of flavors frustrates some customers while others love the different flavors each day, and helps to distinguish her shop from other bakeries around the area. Barbaro said the lack of a menu maintains spontaneity within her store.

Some flavors are inspired from Barbaro's breakfast appetite upon waking up in the morning, like the Blueberry Crumbcake. She created the flavor from scratch after craving it for breakfast one morning, made a batch and set the items out in the display case for purchase by 11 a.m.

Barbaro keeps staple flavors available daily including milk chocolate, red velvet and vanilla bean, but other fan favorites include flavors, such as pumpkin spice and varieties of lemon.

Barbaro received a bachelor's degree in Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management from Texas Tech University, and worked in different career fields such as event planning, photography and as a disc jockey assistant. Baking remained a hobby until she made a marble-flavored cake for her mother's birthday party in 2010. Barbaro said the cake received so much attention that she started receiving requests for baked goods. As she started fulfilling orders, she ran out of space at her parents' home, covering the kitchen table and even the pool table with

cupcakes, she said.

"Literally overnight, I was getting so much business for cupcakes that I had to do something about it," Barbaro said.

The native Texan makes all cupcakes to order, and custom designs cupcake decorations with melted chocolate.

While Barbaro has her hand in each baked good at the shop, she said she receives help. She hired her first employee, Jacky Villa, two months ago, who helps with cleaning the bakery as well as picking up on tasks that Barbaro does not have time for on particularly busy days. The business is also a family affair. Barbaro's mother, Connie, is often in the store and helps manage the front desk, and Barbaro's aunt, Cindy Ferguson, knows several of the recipes to prepare cupcake frostings.

In addition to running her business, baking daily and researching future recipes, Barbaro also makes every delivery herself to assure customers safety and care for every order.

"I always want people to know that I will be the one making [the order] and I will be the one driving it down and setting it up," Barbaro said. "I take pride in the fact that I do everything here."

More than just cupcakes

Owner Rachel Barbaro also sells various flavors of macaroons, such as vanilla bean and salted caramel, and three flavors of crepes, including Chunky Monkey, Fresh Fruit and Nutella and the signature Banana Foster crepe.

She also takes build-your-own requests. Each order is available to-go or for takeout. Barbaro likes to tell her customers, "Come for the cupcakes, stay for the crepes."

Macarons: $1.50 each, box of 5 is available

Crepes: $5 each

Sugar Ray's Bake Shop, 4021 Preston Road, Ste. 624, 972-403-9200, www.sugarraysbakeshop.com, Hours: Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–5 p.m.