The holiday season is here which means seasonal treats are in store at Main Street’s only cupcakery, L.A. Sweetz. Residents and visitors can plan on cupcakes in flavors such as pumpkin pie, peppermint, eggnog, chocolate mint, apple pie and champagne.
The rollout of seasonal flavors is one of many things L.A. Sweetz owner Letty Alvarez is looking forward to as the year comes to a close. Alvarez, a previous contender on the Food Network hit show Cupcake Wars, once again participated in the filming of an episode for the show Unique Sweets which showcased the store’s guava cupcake, the first of its kind in Florida. The episode, season 7 episode 3, aired on Sunday, November 27, Alvarez’s birthday.
“I like to think of united worlds with the guava cupcake,” said Alvarez. “Everyone else does red velvet, but I wanted a cupcake to represent my culture and my love of baking.”
Those looking for cultural twists in their desserts can head to L.A. Sweetz on Fridays for happy hour cupcakes that were first featured on Cupcake Wars – the guava cupcake, the Ricky Martin cupcake coconut rum cake soaked in dark coconut rum with dulce de leche butter cream and candied coconut bits, or the margarita cupcake – lime tequila soaked cupcake, topped with cream cheese buttercream and course sea salt grounded on top for a salty and sweet flavor.
Alvarez has also started franchising opportunities and opened the first franchised L.A. Sweetz in Orlando. This makes Alvarez one of only 20 women across the nation that is a franchisor.
“Franchising is a male-dominated field,” she said. “Not only am I a woman but I am also Latina so I feel a lot of pressure but I also feel a lot of pride because not only am I going to spread the love of my concept in my home state, but to the country and spread cupcake love around the world.
That’s a huge accomplishment and I never dreamed it would be this way. I started this business just with an idea that I was going to be a baker tucked away in a tiny shop. We started this with $5,000 and no college degrees and here we are five years later. I am so immensely proud of what my husband and I have accomplished.”
L.A. Sweetz offers over 75 flavors and seasonal flavors and is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
“We have a lot going on, but I like to bite off more than I can chew, that’s just my personality! But you know I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Alvarez. “And I’m so blessed to have such a strong support system that lives and breathes L.A. Sweetz and that nine years into it no one wants to throw cupcakes at me is great!”