Business at Silver Spoon Bakery Keeps Getting Sweeter

If you're starved for a small business success story, look no further than Silver Spoon Bakery on Main Street in East Greenwich.

The hunger for high-end cupcakes, coupled with the town's granting of a liquor license last year, has brought the masses to the shop.

The traffic has resulted in three new hires this month alone and owner Kelly Santos said in an interview that she's planning on bringing on another person.

"We've been slammed with weddings and events of all sorts," Santos said.

The store opened in 2012 and has steadily become a high-demand vendor for special events thanks to gourmet cupcakes that now can include a splash of champagne or other liquor — another benefit to the liquor license.

And the bakery is now open late nights for post-dinner desserts, complimenting East Greenwich's dinner scene with an opportunity for one of their treats and a coffee with Bailey's Irish Cream, for example.

"It brings in people for that nighttime crowd after dinner that we didn't do before," Santos said.

The bakery is known for their bakery boxes in a cool Tiffany hue, reflecting Santos' desire to convey that what you're about to eat is a high end product, "something a little different," she said.

The success isn't just about the liquor license, Santos said. She keeps adding and trying new things, like mini-pies for Thanksgiving, the occasional scone, macaroons, cookies. They have space across the hall in the building at 58 Main Street for private events and parties. People are lining up for bridal showers and kids parties in which the children get to decorate with one of Silver Spoon's bakers. 

"I wanted it to be not like walking into a random run-of-the-mill bakery," Santos said of how she ended up starting the business two years ago. "I wanted to convey there was a special experience going on in here."

And this came at a time during which it seems everybody knows somebody starting a cupcakery somewhere. There's no doubt that cupcakes are hot these days, so Santos has keenly kept her business diversified. Just recently, she partnered with Sara Zarrella of 650 Main St. for first birthday cake smashes, for example.

In all, it's quite a feat for someone with no formal baking background. Santos does have an MBA from the University of Rhode Island, where she also got her undergraduate degree. 

She credits some of the Silver Spoon Bakery's success comes from the strong support of the community, which cheered her on when she first opened and has been behind her ever since.

"The support when we first opened was great," Santos said, noting that she lives up the street from the store.

As a result, Santos said she's tried to be involved with the community by supporting fundraising events, charities and even sells a "silver dollar" cupcake, the sales of which are collected and donated each year to St. Jude's Children Research Hospital.

Santos said she always loved baking. It was her outlet. 

"I wanted to do something different," she said as the baked goods piled up around her. "I wanted to be creative. I can't eat all this."

They say for your ideal job, imagine turning your hobby or passion into your career. 

For Santos, ultimately, it was "now or never," she said, telling herself "I have to open it and see if it works."

Considering that two years ago, Santos never imagined she'd be writing paychecks for eight employees, it's safe to say that it's working out pretty sweet.

Follow Silver Spoon Bakery on Facebook.

Silver Spoon Bakery is located at 58 Main St. in East Greenwich and is open daily at 10 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m. on Monday, 9 p.m. on Tues. to Thursday, 10 p.m. on Fri. and Sat. and 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Mark Schieldrop can be reached at mark.schieldrop@patch.com Twitter: @MarkSchieldrop