Today we’d like to introduce you to Lio Botello and Ashton Snyder.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Ashton: When I was a kid, I picked up baking as a hobby and never really thought anything of it. It wasn’t until Emilio and I had started dating, long-distance, that the concept came to life. I was living in Providence, RI and he was living in Hurst, TX. We had numerous late-night FaceTime conversations of me telling him my dreams of opening a bakery one day.
Lio: What caught my attention and stood out about Ashton’s dream bakery was his description of his logo and theme for his bakery. When he described the bakery and logo to me I loved the idea of this fun and sexy lumbersexual themed bakery. Branding something like this is the kind of stuff I love to do, so I made mental notes of our conversation because I knew this wasn’t the end of it.
Ashton: When I moved to Dallas, later that year, there was a surprise for me waiting that I was NOT expecting. Emilio has been in cahoots with an illustrator and had my logo brought to life. It was in this moment I thought “oh shit… here we go”. The rest is history with our ups and downs as any small business faces.
Has it been a smooth road?
Lio: With Ashton moving here from halfway across the country one of the biggest struggles we faced was finding his clientele. I’ve lived in the DFW area my entire life so it started out by letting family and friends know that he could bake them a birthday cake here and there. I knew that in order to be successful we had to get his works of art in front of people and social media was the way we were going to do it. @SugarDaddysCakery Instagram was created and slowly people started to find us.
Ashton: With that being said, a lot of my cakes and creations were FREE. At the time, Emilio was living in a condo with the smallest kitchen I’d ever seen, which is what lead us to move to Dallas with a MASSIVE kitchen. Although much more helpful, it was still a strenuous situation because it’s only Emilio and I at the moment. Every order, every delivery is done by the manpower of two people. When people ask us “who does your publicity” I turn to Emilio and say… “HE DOES”. It’s a two-man show.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Sugar Daddy’s Cakery – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Ashton: As orders started flooding in, the most popular cakes that we create are our Geode Cakes. Decked out in glamorous/glittery crystals. Fast forward, once our Cakery appeared on Netflix’s Sugar Rush, we became known for our Cotton Candy Upside Down Icecream Cupcake and our fabulous Rainbow Tacos! Y’all NEED to check them out!
Lio: I would say that I am most proud of the fact that we were discovered and casted for Sugar Rush through our Instagram after only being around for less than a year. A talent scout for the production company sent us a DM and asked if we would be interested in auditioning. They had seen our treats and loved them so much we were on our way to Los Angeles to film shortly after.
Ashton: Emilio and I pride ourselves in all of the charity work that we have been apart of this past year (with much more to come). For us… it’s more than a “promotional” opportunity, it’s a way for us to give back and show the LGBTQ community that we are HERE and that we’re a safe space for all their sweet needs.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Ashton: As a person who has lived in several other major cities, I.e. NY, Boston, Providence, what I love most about Dallas is the cliche southern hospitality. On the east coast, people tend to look at you funny, and look down when you pass them and say “hello”. In Dallas, that is not the case. On a business level, Dallas has been extremely accepting of our brand and has helped catapult our success forward. What I like least about Dallas,. that’s a tough one to answer. I would have to say the extreme heat in the summer seasons. A lot of baked goods do NOT like the heat and will tend to deteriorate in such conditions.
Pricing:
- White Chocolate Mocha Cupcake 4 for $20
- Caramel Brûlée Shooter 4 for $20
- Peppermint Mocha Dessert Taco 4 for $20
- Basic 5in 3layer cake $40
- Basic 8in 3 layer cake $45
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SugarDaddysCakery.com
- Phone: 214-273-2655
- Email: Ashton@SugarDaddysCakery.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/SugarDaddysCakery
- Facebook: Facebook.com/SugarDaddysCakery
- Other: Lio@SugarDaddysCakery.com
Image Credit:
Jay Fuertez
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