I need a cute business name

August 20, 2008 7:00 PM

Help! I need a cute and quirky name for a small baking business - more catering than not, and definitely on the cute-and-quirky side, since it specializes in cupcakes.

It's sort of last minute because it's been very word of mouth lately but I have a delivery to make and the person I'm making cupcakes for asked if I had business cards. I can make them very last minute, but I'm stuck on business names.

Useful facts to know:

I live in San Diego, CA.
I am a fan of internet memes.
I'm female.
I work in IT.
It's pretty much all cupcakes all the time around here. (And by here, I mean my house and very tiny baking empire)
I'm more inclined to cute and quirky than uber-slick and professional. I mean, it's -cupcakes-.

I briefly considered "I heard you like cupcakes", in the "I herd u liek mudkips' sense, and using the meme-spelling for internet-culture savvy folks, but it seems too long and WAY too quirky.

I'm at a loss. Halp?

posted by FritoKAL to grab bag (60 comments total)

The Cupcake's Not A Lie
posted by sandking at 7:05 PM on August 20, 2008

Cupquakes.
A tremblor for your tastebuds.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:06 PM on August 20, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Two girls, one cupcake? :p
posted by Perplexer at 7:07 PM on August 20, 2008

I can has cupcake?
posted by prefpara at 7:07 PM on August 20, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Or the stuffy and professional, but obvious: Cupcaterers.
posted by Perplexer at 7:09 PM on August 20, 2008

Muffin tops?
posted by fixedgear at 7:09 PM on August 20, 2008

Cupcake Girl is Watching You Masticate
posted by iconomy at 7:11 PM on August 20, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Top of the Muffin to You (no exclamation point).
posted by Zambrano at 7:13 PM on August 20, 2008

Cup-Cup-Cater-Cakes
posted by astrochimp at 7:16 PM on August 20, 2008

I'm in ur cupcake, sating ur hunger.

Cupcakese.cx
posted by 5MeoCMP at 7:19 PM on August 20, 2008

ucanhazcupcakes
posted by meeshell at 7:21 PM on August 20, 2008

What if you just did "Hey! I heard you like cupcakes!" You could put that on your eventual nationwide chain of bakeries, but when people in the know talked about you they could just call it "Hey! Cupcakes!" which is also how you would answer the phone.
posted by Science! at 7:21 PM on August 20, 2008 [8 favorites has favorites]

What about making up business cards with just your name for now, and then putting more thought into a business name when it's not all at the last minute? When you eventually have a real business name it won't ne awkward for the people who have your "just your name" cards to be using just your name.
posted by Airhen at 7:23 PM on August 20, 2008

Cupcaketeria
posted by needled at 7:27 PM on August 20, 2008

A Cup
Cuppy Cakes
posted by plinth at 7:27 PM on August 20, 2008

Never gonna run around and dessert you
posted by spec80 at 7:28 PM on August 20, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

OMG CUPCAKES
posted by brain cloud at 7:28 PM on August 20, 2008 [12 favorites has favorites]

Yeah, I'd go with just your name for this order of business cards. I fully expect that Ask Mefi will provide a long list of excellent choices, but you need to take your time to select the right one.
posted by winston at 7:29 PM on August 20, 2008

Pattycakes
posted by greta simone at 7:30 PM on August 20, 2008

A-Cup Cakes, or b,c,d ... y'know.
posted by netbros at 7:30 PM on August 20, 2008

Beware, cheeziness to follow:

The Perfect Bite
Big Taste, Small Package
I 8 It All
posted by kayzie at 7:32 PM on August 20, 2008

UPCAKES and then use the computer cursor as a logo next to it!

OR ICUPCAKES..... I see you pee cakes..... haha, get it? eh... sorry... I like UPCAKES though!
posted by austinlee at 7:32 PM on August 20, 2008

OR you could use the UP arrow key as a logo....
posted by austinlee at 7:33 PM on August 20, 2008

Dr. LOLcakes -- actually the name of a nonexistent nerd-bakery me and my friends half-joked about starting. We were going to have Rickrolls and Twitters and Something Awesomes (hey, what about those?) and such, but since this probably won't happen, feel free.

Sweet Cuppin' Cakes (probably not copyrighted by Strong Bad)
posted by landedjentry at 7:34 PM on August 20, 2008

I love Science!'s suggestion, but I also agree with Winston that you want to take your time with this. I'd go with your name for the short-term, then launch the business name after you've had time to mull over all the possibilities. Wow, now all I can think is mmmm. . . cupcakes. Too bad I am nowhere near San Diego.
posted by katemcd at 7:35 PM on August 20, 2008

Bits n Bytes
What the Cup!
Cuppa Cakes
C-Cup
Something with the word "meme" in it?
CakeWalk
Cupcake Nation/Empire
Queen Cake
Cake N Bake
Uppity Cakes
Bakery Bytes
Cake Router
Uncommon Cakes
One Girl, One Cupcake? (groannn)
posted by mynameisluka at 7:40 PM on August 20, 2008

Cupcakeucopia

Have your logo be a cornucopia overflowing with cupcakes.
posted by Flunkie at 7:41 PM on August 20, 2008

Cupcakes (or Death)

Scrumptious Crumpets

Very Tiny Baking Empire, LLC
posted by BitterOldPunk at 7:44 PM on August 20, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Canhas Cakes
posted by rhizome at 7:44 PM on August 20, 2008

I'd go with the Spinal Tap song "Cups and Cakes".

Or, to be all memey:
- All Your Cake Are Belong To Us.
- Mai kupkakes!
- sudo bake (or sudo bake cupcakes)
- FTP (Fine, Tasty Pastry)
- Cakerolled.
posted by Gucky at 7:46 PM on August 20, 2008

Cup of Cake
Bytes
Mega Bytes
LolCakes (without the Dr.)
cup dot cake
dot cupcakes



I really should formulate naming ideas *before* reading comments! :)
posted by jay dee bee at 7:48 PM on August 20, 2008

I Make Cupcake
posted by h00py at 8:01 PM on August 20, 2008

Let them eat cupcake
Cupcake Laboratories
posted by LucretiusJones at 8:12 PM on August 20, 2008

Teh Cupcakes
posted by Sassyfras at 8:14 PM on August 20, 2008

Cupk4xx0red!

Nuffin' Says Luffin' like a Muffin' in the Uffin!

Bake a Cupcake (Bake, bake a cupcake!)

Fluffy Muffins

I maked you a cupcake! (But I eated it)

...In a Cup!! (Come on, Wall-E? Anyone?)

Just Desserts

Bakr (Bakr loves you)

Sweet Cuppin' Cakes
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:19 PM on August 20, 2008

Anything Meme-Based is going to confuse your potential customers that aren't deeply embedded. I'd recommend something slightly less niche, perhaps "KL Cupcakes" or "Cupcakes By Karen"? The tagline could be "Making better baked goods since 2008" or something equally wink-oriented.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 8:20 PM on August 20, 2008

(And by here, I mean my house and very tiny baking empire)

Tiny Baking Empire.
posted by holloway at 8:21 PM on August 20, 2008

Cupcakes For The Win!

(I'm compelled by nerdforce to suggest Cupcakes and Grief Counseling.)
posted by gnomeloaf at 8:27 PM on August 20, 2008

Nom Nom Nom Cupcakes
posted by nicwolff at 8:30 PM on August 20, 2008

or, rather:

Nom Nom Nom Cupcakes!
posted by nicwolff at 8:30 PM on August 20, 2008

Weird Mama's
posted by curagea at 8:40 PM on August 20, 2008

That's My Cupcake
Beowulf Cluster Cakes (j/k)
posted by SNACKeR at 8:42 PM on August 20, 2008

O HAI Cupcake?

(Actually - I really like Hey, Cupcake! even though it's not internet-culturey).
posted by chez shoes at 8:49 PM on August 20, 2008

Goatsecakes?

Sorry. Diegocakes? [yournamehere]cakes? Batshitinsanegreatcakes? Holyawesomecakes? Crushcakes?

Meme-y is great but yeah, don't baffle potential customers with a nerdster name.
posted by Camofrog at 9:04 PM on August 20, 2008

Good lord. I was only at the Panera and the craft store for like, 2 hours, guys. (Although we checked in from dinner. Yes, we're nerds.)

Lesee. Responses.

I don't think anything lightly memeish will alienate any potential customers - I mean, really, it's -cupcakes-. If you're an adult and ordering 80 cupcakes for your birthday party, or 3 sets of 2 dozen for a New Years Party, you're already kind of like "Teehee, I'm an adult and getting grown-up cupcakes." and kind of amused by the whole deal, or so everyone I've made them for so far has been. Granted at New Years, the rum in the mojito cupcakes may have been a factor there.

I'm not looking for strong memeish, although "I Can Has cupcake" and "Sweet Cupping Cakes" cracked me up - the former is just a little too memeish and runs the risk of people thinking I can't has grammar and the latter is really property of the people who make Strongbad, and as much as I love The Cheat, I won't bogart even if it isn't copyrighted. For similar reasons, despite the tag on my LJ, I won't go with Cupcake Mad Science - it's a little TOO quirky.

I'm avoiding my real name or initials because it just gives me the heebie jeebies. I can't explain it, it's probably totally irrational, but it's just not something I'm comfortable with.

I'm strongly leaning towards Hey! Cupcakes! It's quirky, it's fun, it's something people actually -say-, and it's not really internet memeish at all. And as much as I really DO love mudkips, I also know the background behind the meme, and it's probably something I want to avoid there. It's that or "Tiny Baking Empire", which also fits all of my criteria (cute, catchy, quirky, made me laugh)

That said, the plan is to make up two sets of cards - one with the business name and some taglineish "Delicious cupcakes blah blah blah" type deal, and another set with the business name and things like "I made you a cupcake (but I eated it)" and "I can has cupcake" and the like. Because some of the people who get them ARE internet savvy, and have already made the 'I can has cupcake? no, you cans not has, I eated it." jokes.

Wow, that was a long response. I'm going to go count cupcake wrappers now. (Yes, seriously.)
posted by FritoKAL at 9:17 PM on August 20, 2008

"Pretty Much Cupcakes"
posted by backwards guitar at 9:20 PM on August 20, 2008

Are Those Cupcakes?
posted by staggernation at 10:16 PM on August 20, 2008

Rather than "Hey! Cupcakes!" I like "Hey, Cupcake!" - with the flirty double-entendre.
posted by nicwolff at 10:42 PM on August 20, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Cupcakery
posted by milqman at 11:15 PM on August 20, 2008

Muffin to see here
posted by jozzas at 11:57 PM on August 20, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Take the Cake
The Enchanted Oven
posted by Jubey at 4:26 AM on August 21, 2008

I don't know about where you are, but where I am, if you have a business name that is not your name (ie J Smith Cupcakes) then you have to register it for a fee with an authority AND it has to be one that hasn't already been registered. Imagine your chagrin should you be using the delightful "Hey, cupcakes!" if you should suddenly receive a Cease and desist letter from these people. Of course, there are rules about which state you're registered in, and which country, but I know nothing about this.

I would recommend you start with Your Name Cupcakes and if the business takes off from there, register a name that you've spent a bit of time on.
posted by b33j at 4:38 AM on August 21, 2008

Cupcakes Cupcakes
Cupcakes Intergalactic
Enron Cupcakes (lots of brand recognition with this one, and I hear no-one's using it)
posted by Mike1024 at 5:19 AM on August 21, 2008

Pak! Chooie! Cupcake!
We Are the Space Cupcakes
The Terrible Secret of Cupcakes
Cupcakes are the Answer
Do You have Cupcakes in your House?
Stand By Your Cupcakes

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/terriblesecret
posted by jrishel at 6:19 AM on August 21, 2008

Cupcakes Are Your New Bicycle
posted by jrishel at 6:43 AM on August 21, 2008

The Cupcakery is taken. One just opened up here in Winnipeg and I've been told that there are others elsewhere. Just FYI.
posted by utsutsu at 7:10 AM on August 21, 2008

"OMG Cupcakes" is twice as good an any other suggestion on this page. There is your winner.

But, I'll still take a stab at it:
Mouthful of Cake
Cupcake Diet
What about Brian?
Celebration Cupcakes
Eat these Cupcakes.

If you have a two-digit street address (yes at your house) you can use XX Cupcakes, (e.g. 54 Cupcakes). When I think of 54 Cupcakes, it makes me thing, "Wow! I want to see all those cupcakes!"
posted by cockeyed at 9:18 AM on August 21, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

There is a cupcake business in Austin, TX called Hey Cupcake!
posted by collocation at 11:19 AM on August 21, 2008

Heh, I like "OMG Cupcakes". For the non-internet savvy folks, you could make something else up that OMG "stands for".

Oh hey, if you need taste-testers for cupcakes in San Diego, uhm... *ahem*.
posted by booknerd at 1:49 PM on August 21, 2008

My first thought was "Bun In The Oven".
posted by davetill at 5:03 AM on August 22, 2008