By: Stacy Cruz
Staff Writer
Costa is home to a talented student body, with gifted individuals even in the baking industry. Junior Katrina Preiss takes her expertise in baking a step further by opening her own baking business called Kat’s MiniCups.
Preiss began her baking business primarily to earn money for college. Half of the earnings from Kat’s MiniCups goes to Preiss’s college fund, and the other half goes toward maintaining the business. Her partner, junior Audrey Locke, helps her with social networking and also receives a cut of the profit.
“I feel like selling cupcakes is a great idea because they are small, inexpensive and make lovely gifts,” Locke said. “They also work as just nice little treats or pick-me-ups, especially for students at school.”
Preiss first starting baking at the young age of two years old due to her mother, Lynn Stephens’, influence. She has since exercised her skills and learned to love the culinary arts throughout her years of practice.
She was inspired to open her cupcake business after her father, Michael Preiss, opened his own real estate business a few years prior.
“My mom figured that if I could play with Play-Doh, then I could play with real dough, and that’s where it all began,” Preiss said. “It has been there my whole life, and I have always truly loved to be in the kitchen.”
Kat’s Minicups began in May of 2014 and has been a work-in-progress ever since. It is an all-cash business and, therefore, it is not registered with the IRS. According to Preiss, testing recipes and perfecting the website have taken months for her to perfect, but Kat’s Minicups has expanded despite challenges. The business now sells cookies and beverages in addition to cupcakes.
“The business has been growing ever since May, and it has never been this big before,” Preiss said. “It is really amazing to look back and see how far it’s come.”
Preiss has hopes of keeping Kat’s Minicups running throughout her high school years and even plans on taking the business to college with her. According to Preiss, she does not wish to be a pastry chef in the future, but rather a culinary chef who cooks and presents her own food with her own business.
“I hope to some day own a food truck,” Preiss said. “I’d love to incorporate some of the same recipes that I’ve used in this business and transfer it to the next.”
Preiss dreams of traveling the world to discover new dishes and tastes that she can one day share with her future customers. Despite her initial goal of saving for college funds, her customers’ happiness is the most important aspect of her business.
“Cupcakes and cookies make people feel good; who in their right mind would turn down a cupcake?” Preiss said.
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