If you have a sweet tooth and a love for shopping local, you won’t want to miss Crumb & Cream — a walk-up bakery and coffee shop situated in a pink and cheerful converted RV at 430 Upchurch Street in Apex. Owned by Erik and Caroline Zilli, Crumb & Cream officially opened for business in 2021 — born out of Caroline’s lifelong passion for baking and cake decorating.
“It’s definitely not your average shop; it’s a converted RV,” said Caroline. “We don’t exactly fall into the food truck category (we aren’t mobile) or a brick and mortar, so we just call it a walk-up bakery and coffee shop. It was black when we bought it, so we painted it to complement our brand, which is pretty bright and colorful. Plus, you can’t really miss the giant pink and white RV with colorful polka dots, so it makes it easier for customers to find us too!”
Although business has been thriving since 2021, their physical location — described by Caroline as a “completely unplanned surprise” — opened in November 2022.
“The opportunity presented itself out of the blue, and Erik pushed me to jump on it, so here we are,” said Caroline, who describes her baking and cake decorating journey as “a hobby which accidentally turned into a business.”
Knead to know more? Read on to see how this husband and wife duo is baking the world a better place.
Missed the sign? Look for the polka dots!
What were you doing prior to the opening of Crumb & Cream?
I was and still am a stay-at-home mom. I have a 7-year-old and 4-year-old that we homeschool, so we’re together all the time, even if we’re running in a million different directions. I love running my business, but being a mom is really just the best.
Describe Crumb & Cream, in your own words!
Oh, the pressure is on! Crumb & Cream is a little neighborhood shop for customers to mingle and fill up on specialty beverages and handmade treats. To be honest, we’re not fancy and we don’t have big goals. We just want to serve the community from our hearts. I come from a long line of women who show love through food, so we want to share that with our neighbors. If we’ve brought joy to your life through a birthday cake, or a cake decorating class, or a coffee and treat at the shop, then we’re accomplishing our dreams. Our business has a lot of heart, and we aim to bring that small-town warm and fuzzy feeling to every customer who stops by.
What is your favorite thing on the menu?
The pound cake. I’ve been making pound cake for over 30 years, and it holds a very special place in my heart. I always say it feels like a hug in the form of food. I think of my grandmother every time I eat a piece, and I love that I get to share a part of her with so many others. She was “the pound cake lady,” after all!
What has been the most popular item?
The Norwegian waffle is our biggest seller, but people are really disappointed when we’ve sold out of the chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cream pies, and crumb cake. We try really hard to make enough of those, but we have a hard time keeping them stocked.
Owner Caroline Zilli serves an iced coffee to a happy customer.
Tell me all about the parties you offer!
Happily! I began offering workshops by selling tickets to cake decorating classes through various venues. I still do those when I can, but we get booked for a lot of private parties for things like birthdays, neighborhood groups, team building, mom groups, etc. I love sharing tips on cake decorating as I walk students through the process. It’s rewarding to see them learn something new and be proud of their creation. We have cupcake workshops and one-layer or two-layer cake decorating options. It’s a great experience for all ages.
Are there any upcoming events you’d like to mention?
We typically have one or two public classes a month at different locations, so always check our events page to see what’s coming up!
Describe how your experience has been as a business owner.
Bonkers? It’s kind of like parenting, where you really can’t know what you’re getting into until you’ve done it. It’s exhausting, but a good exhaustion, because you’re doing what you love. It’s scary because there’s no safety net, just faith. It’s enriching because you get to serve others with your passion.
Anything else you’d like to add?
We absolutely love getting to work and collaborate with other small businesses. We wouldn’t be here without them. We partner with a number of small businesses to host classes; we offer products from other local bakers; our coffee beans come from local roasters; we collaborate with other businesses for events and products. Small businesses offer a kind of magic that can’t be found anywhere else. They might be a little slower because they don’t have a big staff managing all the different aspects of running a business. They might be closed when you wish they weren’t because they have families that come first. They might have a smaller selection or limited stock because they do everything by hand. They might be more expensive because they have higher costs and need to support their family. But they’re also going to give you their best. They’re going to pour their hearts into their business, because it’s not just a job to them. They’re going to give you the best quality they can because they want you to have the best. They’re going to view you as a person and not a number, because you matter to them. Keep the magic going by supporting small.
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