Marcia Cole has been dreaming about opening a cupcake shop her whole life.
“I’ve always loved cooking, and I recently graduated from a culinary school. I also saw that there was a need for [a bakery] in Hillsdale,” she said. “Also, I like to eat cake.”
Her idea will become a reality in November with the opening of Cake Thyme in downtown Hillsdale.
“It’s artwork,” Cole said. “We do wedding cakes, birthday cakes, graduation cakes, and any type of special occasion. We have many flavors of cupcakes, like lemon thyme and chocolate mousse. We also have different cake flavors like pink lemonade and more traditional flavors like white, chocolate, and strawberry.”
Cole said her two favorite flavors of cupcake are white chocolate raspberry and carrot cake.
As a teacher at Siena Heights University, Cole said doing both jobs can seem a little overwhelming at times. But with her son, who helps her in the shop, and her daughter, who does the website design, she is able to make her business come alive.
“They lift [me] up when [I’m] down,” Cole said. “They honestly critique [my] work, which can be difficult, but I always take what they say and try to make it better. Honestly, I can’t imagine doing business without them.”
Support for her business doesn’t end in her home. Businesses and shops around downtown encourage the establishment of a new bakery.
“It’s good for all the businesses downtown, and I support it,” said Pai Ringenberg, owner of the Coffee Cup Diner, located next door to the future home of Cake Thyme.
Students at Hillsdale College also expressed their enthusiasm for the opening of the shop.
“I’m very excited to see the addition of a cupcake shop downtown, so I can go there everyday,” senior Emily Peltier said.
With the positive support and quickly approaching grand opening, Cole expressed her enthusiasm for opening the shop.
“I’m excited about it. I want to be there a lot,” Cole said. “I hope it will eventually be a full time job, but I’m doing it gradually.”
Cole said she is looking forward to the start of something different.
“It’s a new adventure — a new hope,” Cole said. “I’m not leaving teaching behind, I’m just recreating my future.”
