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A18 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, August 2, 2005 Cupcake craze hits town with Flour Girls Caterers quickly carving out place in the market with specialiy sweets By GILLIAN CORMIER Special to The Champion Catering is a piece of cake for Miltonian Susy Pardo. She and pannrer Maria Kardaris have recently launched Flour Girls, a virtual company they describe as an "old-fash- ioned bakety with a twist," whicb special- izes in unique and customtuzed cupeakes. "It was something that had been on my mind for a number of years.-sad Ms Pardo. Baking bas been a life-long passion for ber, but the desire to create her own line of baked goods was ignited after she atsended a culinary program ut the French Culinary Institute in New York. "There is a cupcake craze in New York right now,' she said. "People can't sccmn to resist a cupcake something about cupcakes makes people svant to reach out and take one."* From this craze, Flour Girls was born. Ms Pardo and Ms Kardaris met as co- workers at an advertising agency and decided to go mbt business togeiber. Ms Kardaris, wbo has a background in public relations, bandles the business end of Flour Girls while Ms Pardo takes cure of the baking. Flour Girls began this pasi February. catering to famnily and friends. and then officially launcbed iii May. As. a virtual bakesbop. Flour Girls relies on the visuals on uts Web site and word of moutb to promole its haked go ids. One of the benefits of being a virtual business is the customnization Flour Girls offers; us clients. Customers can cboose 10 personalize their cupeakes witb bomnemade chocolates, sugar tlowers, butter cream tlowers, and even fresb flowers for elegant gatherings. For kîds' parties. tbey have sugar-art characters like Dora the Explorer, Barbie, and other favourites. "It's a novelty tbing," said Ms Pardo. "People love il." Cupcakes also range from very tradition- al butter cream îcing cupeakes 10 elaborate cupeake fare for formna events. Cupcake trees are the perfect solution to expensive "We cmn hellp Pel& wit them kdeS& M.d we've doue hi-home meeting t. help peoplle decide exactly what they want so they'il keep eoming hack."- wedding cakes, she said, and tbey make cbildren's birtbday parties mucb less sîressful. "Somneone doesn't bave 10 be there cutting the cake," she said. "People can jusi serve tbemselves." Flour Girls oflers both standard and spe- cîalty cupcakes, but certainly doesn't stop there. It also offers a xvtde range of eus- îomized decorative cookies, popular for wedding and baby sbosvers, and has even made cookies for company product launches. "We can help people witb theme ideas," she said. "And we've donc in-home meet- ings to help people decide exactly whaî lhey want vo sbey'll keep comning back." Flour Girls, thougb based oui of Milton and Markham, does a lot of business in Toronto, sshere nesvs of its specialîy treats is spreading faist. "We're sîarting 10 el to the point where we catit figure oui boss people found out about us:' she said. 'We used 10 be able 10 trace il back tbrough six degrees of separa- lion and word of mouth." 'Me duo bas big plans for the company, and are fuelled by a passion for qualiîy service, creativity, and the desire 10 meet the sugar cravings of their customners. "We're hoping to open up a shop even- tually where we can accommodate walc-in traffic, she said. "But we still want 10 main- tain that extra-special customer service." For more information on Flour Girls, cal] (416) 219-0555 or visit www.flourgirls.com. I*THE BEST SOUND IN TOWN* WE SEUL 13 CRAIE MOTOF a 50-880 HP DELUXE .. 52t 3 50-850 HP...........42( CALL FOR SPECIAL PRICES GENERAL REPAIRS PERFOIMNCE EXIIUSTe is (YMMfR& HI Rf# je CRUI US FOR MN UnAI CGNOMGNINC CHECK UP *FREE oxhausi Inspocuolna CORECIO NOTIC PLEASE NOTE: i The JuIy Door Hanger The address should read 311 Martin St. Milton. Dr. Angelika Koeth B.Sc.,D.C, FIC.P.A., D.N.M Family Care Chiropractor "Under My Roof __ " Total Family Wellness " Headaches!/ Migraines " Neck, Back, Arm & Leg Pain " Safe Gentie Technique " Morning & Evening Heurs " Orthotics e Cranial Sacra " New Patents Welcome 905-878-516 311 Martin St. Milton www.koethchiropractic.701 .com 22 Yoars In Practice' me_ _1 1 -1 Il zi se11«1cýce 9:00 - 1ý0o quuui ulu ulutu minon Iuý! à