Stephanie Sokol for OU News Bureau

Owner David Gonzalez said the cupcakes are based on family recipes. PHOTO/STEPHANIE SOKOL

Looking for a place to have great food and a good time? OU News Bureau reporters have visited some distinctive eateries in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties to learn more about what these places have to offer. Reporter Stephanie Sokol visited Gigi’s Cupcakes, owned by couple David and Nicole Gonzalez, in Macomb.

Tell me about the history of this place.
This location of Gigi’s is owned by me (David) and Nicole Gonzalez. It opened

last March and is part of a franchise, with the original location found in Nashville, Tenn.  The story behind the original cupcake shop was that Gigi was cleaning houses and working at Red Lobster in Nashville as she tried to become a singer. Her brother was a traveling stunt driver, working in movies. After he went into a crowded cupcake place while in New York, he told them they needed to start their own, so the original Gigi’s was born.

Describe what it offers patrons.
The cupcake recipes are based off of family recipes, so they’re not industrialized; they’re still homemade. We’re putting a high-end product out there. I’ve been to a lot of cupcake places and this is more of a boutique-style cupcake. I would call it upscale.

Why would someone want to come here?
I’ve been to a lot of cupcake places before this opened, and I kept finding that they looked great, but they didn’t taste very good. To me, if a cake isn’t good by itself, then it shouldn’t be out there. Frosting’s going to make anything taste good, but the cake has got to stand its test. The customers tell me they love the cupcakes. I have that much faith in it. I’ve had the competitors and I don’t think their (cupcakes) are bad, I just think ours are better.
BY STEPHANIE SOKOL

What do you do that’s different from other places like this?
We don’t sell day-old cupcakes. I bake everything — there’s one baker and three decorators. I think we hold our standards very high. If something doesn’t come out right, we throw it away. We bake in-house. I think we’re a better product.

What’s the one thing everyone should order here?
I can’t tell you, because I don’t know if you like fruit, chocolate or nuts. We have many flavors. It kind of depends on your mood and what you like. My favorite cake is probably the Texas, out of all our cupcakes. It’s like a Texas sheet cake. It’s more like a brownie, not as fluffy, with a taste of cinnamon in it. And our chocolate buttercream frosting is really good.

How many people work here?
Including the owners, eight people work here. All employees are cross-trained to do everything. But because I bake in the morning, the other workers mostly decorate and prep the cupcakes, while focusing on customer service.

What does the future hold for this place?
We were going to open multiple locations in the Detroit area, but we’re still following it out. We’re the only location in Michigan. The closest one would be Dayton, Ohio.

Gigi’s Cupcakes is at 18353 Hall Road, Macomb. 586-416-GIGI.www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/macombmichigan
or click on its Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/#!/GigisCupcakesMacombMichigan?fref=ts