The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Small biz overcomes
Colossal Cupcakes serves sweet treats, opens after shutdowns, riot damage
After dealing with the novel coronavirus pandemic and the effects of the downtown Cleveland riots, a bakery chain finally opened a new location in North Olmsted to provide treats for patrons on Cleveland’s west side.
“I opened it nine years ago downtown in (528 Euclid Ave.), that was my first store,” said Kelly Kandah, owner of Colossal Cupcakes, which is open at 4615 Great Northern Boulevard. “This store was planned to open this time last year.
“We had permit issues with the city of North Olmsted. I was about to open, and then the virus happened, so I paused. I was afraid to put more into it. I went from a full staff to almost no one, and I was petrified.
“I had been living behind my computer and doing the marketing aspect of my business, so I hadn’t been behind a counter and a mixer in ages. I had to go back and do it all.
“We were actually doing very well downtown. We had online ordering, and we were open physically. We did pretty well. When the shutdowns were wrapping up, people were coming out.”
Kandah said things were looking to improve for the business, but then came the May 30 riots and looting in Cleveland following protests in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“I had just a staff in there and myself, and they came in and just destroyed the store,” she said. “We had to lock ourselves in a bathroom while they destroyed the entire store. It was hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.”
“So, the store is closed right now because we have to completely redo it. It is supposed to open in late winter.”
Kandah said that also delayed the North Olmsted
opening.
“We were going to open here in June, but with everything that happened, I couldn’t open a new location then,” she said. “So, we finally opened in July.
Kandah said the business keeps adding treats.
“The business has evolved,” she said. “We started out as only a cupcake shop, but now we have a colossal of everything. We have colossal macaroons, cookies, brownies and a full line of unique sweet ice cream.
“So, you can come get a cupcake shake or you can come and have a cupcake quake. The quake is our version of the McFlurry or Dairy Queen’s Blizzard; you take a cupcake and you mash it in with ice cream.”
Kandah said Colossal Cupcakes has enough as customers come in throughout
the day.
“We now have a rainbow grilled cheese; it’s on French Brioche sweet bread with a rainbow of cheese colors on it,” she said. “It’s really good.
“We also have rainbow bagels. We like to be a colorful, unique trending sweets spot when you come in and get anything. We are not like most bakeries where they sell out. Every time you come, we will at least have 25 to 30 flavors to choose from.
“We always have a baker making things to fill orders. We have 80 flavors. We have 30 staples and different seasonals and a good variety. There is something for everyone, and the difference is we have colossal everything.
“Everything is abundant, and you get what you pay for.”