Abby Girl Sweets opens cupcakery in heart of Downtown Cincinnati

In an attempt to drive more foot traffic for their cupcakery business, Abby Girl Sweets' owners, Nathan and Andrea Thompson, decided to relocate from Oakley to the heart of downtown Cincinnati.  Their new location is directly across the street from Macy's and just a half-block away from busy Fountain Square.

"This is a much better location and a better setup for the store," said Nathan Thompson.  "The long and narrow layout is much better for our customers and our operations."

Named after the Thompson's daughter, Abby Girl Sweets follows much of the same methodology that the growing world of cupcakeries follow.  Their cupcakes are made from scratch with fresh ingredients and baked fresh every day.

The initial move downtown did not come easy though. The Thompson's had searched for months for a location with higher concentrations of people until they got help from Arlene Koth with Downtown Cincinnati Incorporated.

"I had kind of given up on the downtown search myself, but they had a whole list for us to look at which led to this perfect location," Thompson said.

So far the move has been a success.  The 510 square-foot cupcakery has doubled the amount of sales previously experienced in Oakley.  Business has been so good that the Thompsons have been selling out of their cupcakes on a regular basis even though they keep increasing the amount they bake.  

Customers can find a selection of 12 different cupcake flavors at Abby Girl, and one special flavor of the week cupcake.  Cupcakes cost $2.75 each, or they can be purchased in half-dozen quantities for $15.  Cupcakes can be ordered in advance for large or specialty orders by calling (513) 335-0898 or emailing [email protected].

According to Thompson, additional staff may be needed with the growth in sales they and an additional downtown location, vending cart, or delivery service are all possibilities.

"We love it downtown, and we're really hooked on it," said Thompson.  "We just get the feeling that a lot is going on; even late at night there are people out walking around."

Abby Girl Sweets is not the only business looking to the center city for business.  Mica 12/v recently refocused their energies on their Over-the-Rhine location, Five Guys decided to open their chain burger concept in Clifton Heights before considering expansion to the suburbs, and Tazza Mia decided to expand Downtown after the success of their first location.

Abby Girl Sweets (map) is open Monday through Friday from 11am to 6pm.  You can also stay connected with special offers, weekly flavors, and other happenings by following @AbbyGirlSweets on Twitter.

Writer: Randy A. Simes
Photography by Scott Beseler
Stay connected by following Randy on Twitter @UrbanCincy