With passion and creativity at the heart of everything she does, Nicole Mrad, founder of CupNcakes Dubai LLC and Cuisine With Nicole, tells us how she transformed her homegrown business in Dubai to one of the most sought-after pastry shops in the city.
How did your career begin?
It all started in my kitchen: a small space filled with a big passion for food. I always wanted to do something creative. Baking combined both my love of art and enthusiasm for food.
Having graduated with a degree in hospitality management, I always wanted to have my own business. At the time, Dubai’s food scene lacked a rich pastry offering, which is why I decided to enhance my F&B knowledge with training in baking cakes and started creating tasty things for family and friends. The orders were mainly for well-designed birthday cakes and fine catering. Within a few months, the orders grew, so I opted for an industrial kitchen. Today, I deliver across the UAE
What feedback have you received from clients?
With friends being my initial client base, orders used to happen naturally, helping me adopt a detail-oriented approach inspired by my clients’ requests. The cakes ended up being filled with stories and emotions. That’s what generated positive word of mouth, which is the best business promotion one can ask for.
Do you cater to businesses, such as hotels?
Yes, we do. As the retail side of the business was going well and growing fast, we acquired a larger production space and took on more staff. Our name has become more recognized in terms of excellence in delivery, quality and creativity.
Do you have any plans to franchise?
Franchising is always a good step forward, provided that we find the right people who share the same values and goals, and who can maintain our brand at the high level it is now. Once this happens, we will be looking at neighboring Gulf countries, as well as Europe.
