Vending

Holy Cakes! Cupcake vending puts Missouri entrepreneurs on growth track

Entrepreneurial couple Shelia and Anthony Caviness have turned their passion for cooking into a successful vending business with a custom built machine they stock with home made cupcakes.

Shelia and Anthony Caviness have found their niche with cupcake vending.

July 19, 2023 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Vending has always been a business opportunity for ambitious self-starters, particularly those motivated by a passion for providing good food. As much as the industry has changed over the years with improved technology, that maxim remains constant.

Case in point is the husband-and-wife team, Shelia and Anthony Caviness, who recently launched a cupcake vending business in Jefferson City, Missouri. While the business, Holy Cakes, remains in its early stage, the couple to date has followed the rules of vending success: know your customer, learn the technology, test your concept and devote yourself wholeheartedly to your business.

Humble beginnings

The couple had no business experience. Anthony was a retired navy chef while Shelia completed her bachelor's degree from Columbia College in general studies with a minor in marketing management and business this year.

This past spring, the Cavinesses introduced their first cupcake machine in an antique mall in their hometown. Customers are attracted to the colorful, brightly lit machine which features a variety of home-made cupcakes.

"I found my niche in cupcakes and cakes," Shelia Caviness, who continues to work full time as a nurse for the Veterans Administration, told this website in a phone interview. "I have a passion for people and to see people happy."

The machine usually sells out every two days.

"I love to cook and I love to eat," added Anthony.

Offerings priced at $4 include "superhero" cupcakes for boys, "princess" cupcakes for girls, a mocha coffee cupcake, a keylime cupcake, holiday specials and customer requests. All icings, including butter cream and cream cheese, are made daily in the couple's basement kitchen.

Hobby becomes a business

The business began in 2015 when Shelia started cooking cupcakes and cakes for friends. The hobby quickly grew into a home business that included a Facebook page that allowed customers to place orders.

The couple wanted to expand the business, but funds were limited, as was Shelia's time.

Inspiration came when Anthony saw a cupcake vending machine while visiting San Diego.

Closer to home, they also noticed an outdoor glassfront cookie machine, Alibi Cookies. Upon investigation, they learned that the Jefferson City Alibi Cookies machine was the second such machine operated by St. Louis based entrepreneur Mike Evans.

Evans was willing to share his vending knowledge with the Cavinesses and encouraged them to expand into cupcake vending.

Evans, who has since expanded to five machines and some storefronts, also put the Cavinesses in touch with his China-based equipment manufacturer who was able to build a machine to their specifications. He also assisted them in figuring out the temperature needs of a cupcake machine.

A customer makes a purchase from the machine.

"It was a fun process to be able to sit down and design," Shelia said. "They (the manufacturer) had to be able to design (and) to vary it and guarantee that temperature. We had to figure out how to keep and maintain that temperature inside the machine."

The glassfront machine, which features an elevator delivery mechanism and a UV protection shield, arrived in the U.S. in March. The Cavinesses, who assemble the packages for the cupcakes, test vended different size packages before seeking a location for the machine.

The machine debuts

Finding a willing location did not prove difficult.

The Dogwood Vintiques mall, A 22,000-square-foot antique mall, was excited to have the machine, which is available during mall hours, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

While the machine can accept cash, the Cavinesses opted only to accept credit and debit cards to discourage theft. The machine features a Nayax payment reader that provides audio payment instructions.

Shelia and Anthony take pictures of each product using a phone camera which they download to the 14-by-28-inch display screen on the front of the machine.

Acceptance comes fast

Customer response has been overwhelmingly positive. The 200 cupcakes the machine holds have nearly sold out every two days, consistently.

Any cupcakes not sold in two days are removed and donated to the Salvation Army and local food banks.

Once the machine debuted, the Cavinesses finalized their website, myholycakes.com. Orders now come in daily on the website, through Facebook, text and email.

Anthony Caviness loads the machine.

They also deliver based on order size, which Anthony does in addition to restocking the machine every two days. They have delivered as far as 100 miles and are working to expand overnight delivery to nearby states.

As the business has grown, so has the basement kitchen, which now includes full size standing mixers, a full sheet pan, a commercial convection oven and refrigerators.

A portion of the proceeds from the machine benefit a church musical scholarship, the Elder Markell Mills Music Scholarship, developed in the memory of a late local musician.

"God has really blessed us with this opportunity and we feel strongly about giving back," Shelia said.

Expansion on the way

The Cavinesses hope to have another machine placed before the end of the year.

"The sky is the limit right now," said Shelia, who hopes to be able to devote herself full time to the business as it grows.

They also hope to have a brick-and-mortar store within five years. They see this as a realistic goal given the positive customer response and the fact that their business has no debt.

"We want it to be a fun experience for people," Shelia said.

Photos courtesy of Holy Cakes.