Foodservice

Cupcake vending machine deployer faces challenges after bombing

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July 23, 2026

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Syracuse, New York, baker Kadesha Carter is facing expansion challenges after her cupcake vending machine was destroyed in an April 10 bombing, according to a Syracuse.com report.

Authorities said a man placed an incendiary device inside the machine, located at an office building on Oak Street. The explosion prompted an evacuation and a large emergency response, but no injuries were reported. Carter said losing the machine was especially painful because it had operated for four years and represented a major milestone for her business, Cupcakes R Me.

Police arrested Bay Rosario, Carter's former fiance, and Strauthmeek Hosea in connection with the blast. Authorities allege Rosario drove the getaway vehicle while Hosea placed the device inside the machine. Court records indicate the men had tried to enter the locked building on the two previous days. Both face multiple charges, including arson and weapons offenses.

The attack has complicated Carter's efforts to expand, with prospective locations raising questions about security and another machine potentially costing nearly $10,000. However, publicity surrounding the explosion has also increased awareness of her business. Carter said monthly revenue from her remaining cookie vending machine at Syracuse Hancock International Airport has more than doubled, rising from about $450 to nearly $1,000.

Carter founded Cupcakes R Me in 2017 and earns income through vending, custom cakes, merchandise, baking supplies and classes for young people in detention centers. She is working with an Ohio company to obtain a replacement machine while awaiting a possible insurance payment. Her next goal is to place a vending machine at one of Syracuse's major hospitals.