Mom’s frosting recipe inspires sisters to be entrepreneurs

A new company in St. Joseph is an early beneficiary of the Michigan’s decision this summer to enact a cottage industries legislation that opens the market to business that cook and package certain foods at home.

Breads, pies, jams, herbs, and coffee were among the items home cooks were allowed to sell without being required to have a Michigan Department of Agriculture-certified  kitchen.

So are cupcakes. Sisters Liz Algyre and Emily Halsey now are partners in Mimi’s Cupcakes, LLC, and their motto is “bringing you a smile with every bite.”

The sisters always wanted to own and operate their own business. With an inspirational buttercream frosting recipe of their mother’s — Mimi to her grandchildren — the sisters went to work.

Their company, Mimi’s Cupcakes, offers gourmet cupcakes in both regular and mini sizes. For a fee, they also deliver them when possible.

Everything Algyre and Halsey bakes is made to order, so they require at least 24-hour notice. With at least one week’s notice they can accommodate nearly any theme or color.

They have a wide variety of cupcake creations with names like Mochamotion, a chocolate cupcake with mocha buttercream frosting, Little Miss Sunshine, a lemon cupcake covered with lemon buttercream frosting, and the Devil’s in Disguise, red velvet cake with buttercream or cream cheese frosting.

To check out these treats, please visit their website or contact Mimi’s at 269-930-1554.

The legislature passed the cottage food law in part at the request of farmers market advocates and to promote entrepreneurship. Algyre and Halsey also received assistance and support from Cornerstone Alliance Small Business services staff in setting up the business in their home.

Writer: Kathy Jennings.
Source: Jamie Nilson-Balkin, Cornerstone Alliance