Molly’s Cupcakes, a popular cupcake and dessert bakery in Iowa City, is getting set to open in Bettendorf.
The bakery is scheduled to open this July at 2503 53rd Ave. (That’s the former home of Meatheads Meat Market.)
The business will hire 20 to 25 employees with hiring set to probably begin in June, said Jamie Skinner, owner of Molly’s Cupcakes in Iowa City and the co-owner of the new Bettendorf site. Sierra McVietty of Geneseo, Illinois, is the other co-owner of the new Molly’s and Ms. Skinner’s business partner.
“It’s been very heartwarming. I really underestimated how many people in the Quad Cities know about Molly’s,” said Ms. Skinner, who added that she has received many welcoming comments from the community since announcing Molly’s is coming to the Quad Cities.
Molly’s leadership announced the planned business opening on Tuesday, April 4, on its Facebook page. “QUAD CITIES: We’re coming for you. Our beloved former team member Sierra is stepping up to be co-owner of Molly’s Cupcakes Bettendorf. Slated to open this summer. See you soon everybody,” the post said.
Some of the welcoming comments Molly’s received on Facebook included: “Best cupcakes I’ve ever had” and “Molly’s is the best.”
Once open, the Bettendorf store will likely be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days a week. (The Iowa City location at 14. S. Clinton St. is open those hours Tuesday through Sunday.)
Ms. Skinner said Molly’s Cupcakes runs an almost 24-hour-a-day operation with its expanded store hours and early morning baking operations.
“We make everything from scratch. …. We don’t cut any corners,” she said.
Some of the best-selling items in the Iowa City location include the cookie monster cupcakes, crème brülèe, Boston cream and French apple cheesecake cupcakes. The business also offers pies, cookies, cheesecakes and other goodies.
In addition to the its tasty treats, Ms. Skinner said it is the atmosphere that keeps people coming back for more. “It just has a lot of character. … Even though we’re a franchise, it has a very warming feeling.”
Molly’s has about 15 locations. The business, which had its original site in Chicago, has at least five Chicago area locations, and sites in New York, Cincinnati, Iowa City, Des Moines and other locations.
According to her profile on Facebook: Ms. Skinner is “an Iowa native who loves dessert and makes one heck of a mess in the kitchen. Jamie worked at the flagship Molly’s Cupcakes in Chicago from 2010-2012. She then moved back to Iowa and opened Molly’s in Iowa City, which became the brand’s first franchised location. Ten years later, Jamie has a coffee shop on the north end of town, a second Molly’s location in Des Moines, and still flies by the seat of her pants.”
Molly’s was founded by John Nicolaides in 2007 and named after one of his grade-school teachers.
“Molly was my third-grade teacher. Whenever one of us had a birthday, she would bake us cupcakes. I still remember how good they were. She had her own special recipe for chocolate and vanilla. Just about everyone who tries them thinks they’re the best cupcakes ever,” according to a statement by Mr. Nicolaides on the company website.
