An Afternoon Cupcake Chat

Steve Abrams, the owner of the New York City staple Magnolia Cupcakes just stopped by the office for an interview. While he didn’t bring any treats, he did offer up a VIP card that will let me skip the line at any Magnolia location through 2011. I think I’ll use it at the Bleecker Street location, where it’s most crowded.

We chatted for an hour about the challenges of taking over a business (he bought Magnolia only a few years back) that has already established so much brand equity. Abrams made a lot of changes and found out that the little hole-in-the-wall could increase its profit by 20 percent, just by simple counting measures. Look out for the interview, which should go live next week.