David Arrick’s Cupcakes for Men

A cupcake business is usually thought of as the domain of female entrepreneurs. David Arrick is an exception. When the forty-two-year-old former commercial real estate lawyer lost his job at a Wall Street firm, he got caught in the same downward spiral many Americans faced during the economic crisis. But just when he thought everything was over, an opportunity came along.

He was stuck in rut for several months and was forced to sell his condo, cash out his 401(k), and collect unemployment benefits as often as he could. At the same time, he tried to come up with a plan that could save him from despair. Inspiration struck when he saw a line of women in front of a bakery. He thought men should be represented in the pastries scene, too.

Arrick craved to create cupcakes that are more “aesthetically masculine,” for male consumers. He didn’t take the idea seriously at first, but decided to pursue it when nothing else seemed to work. With ten thousand dollars, he hired a website developer to create Butch Bakery and bought a commercial space in Queens to make the macho treats.

Arrick asked for the help of his friends and relatives to create manly recipes. Early recipes included beer, peanut butter, Coca-Cola, and the all-time favorite, bacon. Orders were steady for the first few months, but a feature on Daily Candy, a women’s newsletter, made business skyrocket. Their website reached five million hits and other media outlets wanted a piece of their cupcake, too.

Arrick’s cupcakes for guys became so popular that even fishermen in Alaska and soldiers in Iraq wanted a taste as well. But at present, Butch Bakery can only cater to and deliver goods to New York-based customers. With commercial success, it won't take long before Arrick can distribute manly cupcakes to men from different parts of the world.