Mar 14, 2011

Sweet Basil Store Offers Bulk Baking Items And Gourmet Gift IdeasBy Sue WillettWCFCourier.com

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Jimmies, sprinkles or decorettes … whatever you call them, you can now have plenty on hand for your favorite cookies, cupcakes or ice cream treats.

Natalie Brown, 31, owner of Scratch Cupcakery on Second Street in downtown Cedar Falls, is getting ready to open her second business, Sweet Basil Market.

Described as a spinoff from Brown’s confection store, Sweet Basil Market will offer every kind of cupcake sprinkle and baking ingredient along with other unique gourmet food items.

The idea for Brown’s business concept was born after she found herself making trips to Hazleton and Dubuque to purchase ingredients for Scratch.

“I was making weekly trips to purchase sprinkles, chocolate chips, dehydrated fruits, caramel sauce and other hard-to-find, quality ingredients,” Brown said. “I realized that I could save a lot of money if I did this myself. After the idea came into my head to start up my own bulk food store, three weeks later I signed a lease.

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