As the owner of Cream and Flutter, a local boutique pastries and confections shop, Amanda Wyatt handles every aspect of the business. From hiring employees, to baking, to taking photos for the company’s website, Wyatt said every day can be “quite different.”
In 2007, Wyatt and her sister, Trisha Sutton, decided to open their own business as a creative outlet. After Sutton left earlier this year, Wyatt took over as the full-time owner.
“At the time (we opened the shop), the cupcakes were just beginning to be popular so we incorporated those as a large part of the product line,” Wyatt said.
Nestled in the heart of downtown Champaign at 114 N. Walnut St., Cream and Flutter sells products ranging from cupcakes to ice cream sandwiches.
Each day, a portion of the staff’s 12 employees begin baking pastries no earlier than 7 a.m. The other employees provide the sweets to customers throughout the day.
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A seasonal favorite throughout the fall is the Pumpkin Spice Cupcake, which is topped with pumpkin spice and the cream cheese frosting that the shop has gained recognition for, according to Wyatt.
“It is a really moist and fragrant cupcake,” Wyatt said. “It has the fall smells.”
As for the focus of the business, Wyatt admits that when she and her sister opened the shop, they wanted to focus more on building a relationship with the community.
“I don’t think it was so much about the product as it was about the style and the kind of engagement with customers that we were looking for,” Wyatt said. “The business has evolved quite a bit since then in terms of our products and services.”
Since the shop’s opening, Cream and Flutter expanded beyond selling cupcakes. Today, the business bakes cakes, cookies and brownies among other products to satisfy a sweet tooth. The shop also offers designs for weddings and parties.
“Our wedding history is one of our biggest areas in the last couple of years,” Wyatt said. “That’s really fun for us … every customer is different, every bride has a different style.”
According to Wyatt, Cream and Flutter’s clientele is also more diverse, reaching customers outside of the Champaign and Urbana areas.
As for the future of her business, Wyatt expects to work more with the Champaign-Urbana community. Cream and Flutter often works with local schools and arts organizations.
She also hopes to do more design and product work with clients outside of Champaign.
“Generally, just building something from scratch that you see people like, that they engage with, is really rewarding for me,” Wyatt said.
Lyanne can be reached at alfaro2@ dailyillini.com.
