Cuppity Kakes: New restaurant and bakery opens in Springfield

Business owners, employees and the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce celebrated the grand opening of Springfield’s newest eatery Monday afternoon.

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2017-06-06 / Front Page Print Cuppity Kakes: New restaurant and bakery opens in Springfield By KELSEY CHRISTENSEN kchristensen@eagletimes.com Chamber officials and employees of Cuppity Kakes pose for a picture during a ribbon cutting ceremony for Springfield’s newest confectionary business. (From left to right) Christine Rainville of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce; Britney Worrall, employee and daughter of Cuppity Kakes’ owner; Luke MacLaughlin, the owner’s husband; Michelle MacLaughlin, owner of Cuppity Kakes; Jacob Minotti, employee; Jeff Perkins, chamber president; and Caitlin Christiana, chamber executive director, cut the ribbon during Monday’s celebratory event. — KELSEY CHRISTENSEN SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Business owners, employees and the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce celebrated the grand opening of Springfield’s newest eatery Monday afternoon. Cuppity Kakes, located at 100 River St. in the renovated commercial space in the former Fellows Gear Shaper building. The business will offer breakfast, lunch, and baked goods including — of course — cupcakes. For owner Michelle MacLaughlin, the realization of Cuppity Kakes has been a long time coming. “Me and my mom used to make cupcakes when I was a small child,” she said. “She would call them cuppity cakes, which is where the name came from.” MacLaughlin says that at age 45, after working a number of jobs in which she always became the baker, she realized baking was her calling. Though, to answer that calling, MacLaughlin for a long time. “It’s taken 10 years to find a place and be comfortable with it and gain some equity,” she said. Opening up a business in Springfield seemed like the natural maneuver to MacLaughlin, who grew up in Weathersfield but graduated from Springfield High School and has lived in the town ever since. “I’m hoping it will offer [Springfield] good food at a good price,” she said. “We’re working to keep it local and work with the local farms because, really, we all need each other.” Adorning the walls at Cuppity Kakes, among specialty cake pans, are design motifs that reference the history of Springfield’s Precision Valley Tool industry. “I wanted to keep the feel for the history of the building,” MacLaughlin said. “If it wasn’t for the gear shaper, we wouldn’t really have a Springfield.” Cuppity Kakes offers seating for seven parties, though there is also a couch and sitting area in the center of the dining room. The restaurant currently offers breakfast and lunch, with a breakfast burrito, omelette, pancakes and more available in the morning and fresh salads, sandwiches, and a french toast peanut butter and jelly dish, available at lunchtime. “Springfield definitely has a desire for a bakery,” said Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Caitlin Christiana. “So, we’re really excited about a breakfast, lunch, and bakery combo.” Cuppity Kakes is just one of several businesses to set up shop at 100 River St. in recent years. Along with the Springfield Health Center, Cuppity Kakes will join Trout River Brewing Co. and the River Street Pharmacy in the space. “I love it here,” said MacLaughlin. “The people are awesome — understanding, and helpful, and just all around great people.” Monday marked Cuppity Kakes’ grand opening, after being softly opened for three weeks, but it also marks the restaurant’s entry into the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce. As such, the chamber helped promote Monday’s opening, which included sample cupcakes and a raffle to win a tray of cupcakes. “The Great Hall is a good asset for the community,” said Christiana. “They’ve done a great job [at Cuppity Kakes] making a good destination for people to come hang out.” MacLaughlin also offers custom cake decorating for events like weddings, birthdays, and graduations. She says she is perhaps best known for her chocolate cake. “Everybody says it’s the best,” MacLaughlin said.