Photo by Rachel Swick Mavity
Wilmington native Katie Singley fulfilled a lifelong dream when she opened CupKate’s bake shop in Greenville.
Kate Singley loves the sweet life. An entrepreneurial spirit, she started baking with her mom, who would make special cakes for family birthdays and events, when she was in high school.
When she graduated from Archmere in 2014, she decided she needed a “real job,” so she headed off to college at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
“I wanted to go to culinary school, but decided to major in marketing and entrepreneurship instead,” she says.
Throughout her time at college, she would bake cakes and cupcakes in order to grow her skills. Her Instagram feed (@cupkatescakebakery) is full of fun, bright and often modern sugary goodness. She branched out into macarons, a specialty French treat that can prove difficult for even the bravest baker.
After college, she got that real job as a tech recruiter and later as director of marketing for financial compliance for a large company.
“I was working nonstop—going to the office during the day and then baking, sometimes all night,” she says. “The orders kept piling up.”
In 2019, her father got sick and passed away unexpectedly. “He was a pro baseball prayer for awhile and then had several businesses,” Singley recalls. “He inspired me to follow my dreams…life is short.”
When the pandemic hit, Singley realized it would not be an ideal time to start her business. She got started planning and then in January 2021, after quitting her day job, she was all in.
“It took a year to find the right place and get all the applications and paperwork done,” Singley says. “But it was such a relief to know that I was headed on the path to achieving my goals.”
CupKate’s in Greenville near PureBread opened its doors in September 2022. Before operating the bakery storefront, Singley was fulfilling orders placed through her website and social feeds. “I’m pretty booked up and I know my mom is excited for me to get out of her kitchen and into my own store,” Singley says with a laugh.
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In addition to providing specialty cakes, cupcakes, cookies and macarons, Singley also has counter service and a case with a variety of items that change regularly for grab-and-go customers. She sells cupcake toppers, specialty candles and other items to enhance special events.
CupKate’s | 4001 Kennett Pike, Suite 134, Greenville | cupkatescakes.com
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