NC Bakery – Ava’s Cupcakes’ Owner Shares More on Owning a Local Bakery

Like most of us, you likely love baked treats. Who doesn’t love cupcakes, cookies, and other sweet treats?! But, have you ever thought, what is it like to own an NC bakery? Now that you are curious, we have those answers for you. Michelle Spell, owner of Ava’s Cupcakes, shares a little bit about what it is like to own Ava’s Cupcakes and their upcoming plans. Read on to learn more about this wonderful local business, with locations in Winston-Salem and Clemmons.

What sets you apart from other bakeries in North Carolina?

“I believe it is our approach to what we do. While we use the finest ingredients and are proud of our scratch made menu, we truly do place our priorities on people first, product second, and we let the profit handle itself.”

Now that you just celebrated your 11th anniversary, what lessons do you feel were the most important you owned while owning a bakery?

“The most important lessons I have learned are those that taught, and continue to teach, me how to be a better leader and a better person each day. From learning to slow down to simply listening more intently, I’ve learned a lot over the years. My only hope is that I don’t have to repeat any of the hard lessons!”

Do you have any fun or funny bakery stories you can share?

“There are quite a few. One that we always laugh about was when we first opened our New Jersey store. We were working around the clock, with lines out the door. I needed to rest so I went into a closet and using a roll of paper towels as a pillow, I slept like a baby. When I woke up, I went right back to the kitchen! To this day, we laugh about how we all took turns sleeping in the closet during that frenzy!”

What is next for Ava’s Cupcakes?  

“Ava’s Cupcakes has had so many amazing opportunities over the years. But recently, with the pandemic, even more opportunities have come our way. This includes a chance to reach homes all over America with our latest and greatest product, Ava’s Cakecup! It’s everything our famous cupcakes are and more! Ava’s Cakecups are shippable, resealable cakes in a cup, and they are going to take the dessert and edible gift world by storm!”

Check out and even order Ava’s Cakecups by clicking here. These sweet treats are perfect for any occasion and are currently shipping anywhere in the continental United States!

Bakery - Spring Dessert

As a business owner it’s important to get some downtime, so what are some of your favorite NC destinations?

“Asheville, I love the Biltmore! I love Charlotte too. But truly, Winston-Salem has so much to offer that we don’t stray very far from home!”

NC Bakery - Michelle Spell

Stop in Today to Visit This Amazing NC Bakery

Ready to try out Ava’s Cupcakes for yourself? Then, stop into our Clemmons or Winston-Salem locations today for some amazing desserts! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for our latest menu updates, contests, mouth-watering photos, and much more!

It’s like people LOVE us or something ;)

Zackary P.

Ava's Cupcakes is founded by Michelle Spell, the winner of the 4th season of the popular Food Network show, "Cupcake Wars". Winston-Salem is extremely fortunate to be the location she chose to open her cupcake shop. I've tried about 8 different cupcakes so far, and each one is packed with their own unique flavor, including creme brulee, apple pie, and s'mores. Contrary to other cupcake shops around WS, the sweetness... more

Ava’s Cupcakes is founded by Michelle Spell, the winner of the 4th season of the popular Food Network show, “Cupcake Wars”. Winston-Salem is extremely fortunate to be the location she chose to open her cupcake shop. I’ve tried about 8 different cupcakes so far, and each one is packed with their own unique flavor, including creme brulee, apple pie, and s’mores. Contrary to other cupcake shops around WS, the sweetness level of these cupcakes are within an acceptable range and will not make you frantically grab the closest glass of water to wash down the sugar. Although the sweetness can be slightly underwhelming at times and the fluffiness of the cupcake itself can be a bit too much, their cupcakes are still worth trying out!

WORTH IT? YES, they are the BEST cupcake shop in Winston-Salem and the greater Triad area (Overall 8/10)

Brooklyn White

Went into Ava’s and was greeted very pleasantly! The women working was very nice, I went in to try and get a cake because I had waited till last minute to get one for a birthday party, I got a strawberry’s and cream cake and mini cupcakes. They were a huge hit and so delicious!!!

Went into Ava’s and was greeted very pleasantly! The women working was very nice, I went in to try and get a cake because I had waited till last minute to get one for a birthday party, I got a strawberry’s and cream cake and mini cupcakes. They were a huge hit and so delicious!!!

Anthony C.

I had just come out of paradise nails and was craving something sweet so I decided to check out Ava's cupcake. Upon arrival, I was greeted and asked if I had been in their store before. Then I was explained which cupcakes were seasonal, regular, and cream cheese frosted. I tried the seminal cinnamon pumpkin first which was AMAZING. The cake was spongy, flavorful, and moist. The frosting was good... more

I had just come out of paradise nails and was craving something sweet so I decided to check out Ava’s cupcake. Upon arrival, I was greeted and asked if I had been in their store before. Then I was explained which cupcakes were seasonal, regular, and cream cheese frosted.

I tried the seminal cinnamon pumpkin first which was AMAZING. The cake was spongy, flavorful, and moist. The frosting was good because it was not overly sweet. For me, it’s a 10/10.

I saved the red velvet for the next day. My expectations were high since I tried the cinnamon pumpkin prior. I was a little disappointed, it was good but it was not spongy or moist as the cinnamon pumpkin. This could be because it needs to remain cold because of the crème cheese frosting. For me, it’s a 8/10.

Overall this place is good I’ll definitely be back to try more of their seasonal cupcakes.

Jenny N.

All their cupcakes are at least 8/10, apple pie is 10/10! Amazing cupcake place that won on an episode of Food Network's cupcake wars with their apple pie and banana guava flavored cupcakes. The quality of their cupcakes are INSANE and they have a plethora of flavors. Love that they have seasonal cupcakes during holidays or as the season change. I've shown multiple friends Ava's cupcakes and they are blown... more

All their cupcakes are at least 8/10, apple pie is 10/10!

Amazing cupcake place that won on an episode of Food Network’s cupcake wars with their apple pie and banana guava flavored cupcakes. The quality of their cupcakes are INSANE and they have a plethora of flavors. Love that they have seasonal cupcakes during holidays or as the season change. I’ve shown multiple friends Ava’s cupcakes and they are blown away every time even if they don’t have a sweet tooth.

I’ve tried basically all of their flavors, my favorites include apple pie, caramel apple, oreo, and creme brûlée. Most of the cupcakes have filling, a great frosting to cake ratio, and a very fluffy cupcake base. I find the frosting very sweet and often do not eat all of it but is a great occasional drink. Always great service as well and clean store interior.

Erik S.

Nothing has changed about my original review for Ava's. They continue to be the absolute best place around to get some treats and cupcakes, not once have they failed to impress or have I received anything that might have tasted less than fresh. This is my go to place to get cupcakes for any occasion, and they should be yours too. My favorite recent discovery from their wide flavor selection... more

Nothing has changed about my original review for Ava’s. They continue to be the absolute best place around to get some treats and cupcakes, not once have they failed to impress or have I received anything that might have tasted less than fresh. This is my go to place to get cupcakes for any occasion, and they should be yours too.

My favorite recent discovery from their wide flavor selection is their key lime flavor. Banana guava is still my absolute favorite, but the flavor pop of the lime in this cupcake was so zesty and balanced with the sweetness of the cupcake, perfect for a warm day!

Go to Ava’s, you won’t regret it!

Alyson Dietze

We ordered a vegan cake for my daughter’s first birthday since she has a cow milk protein allergy. It was not only beautiful but everyone at the party loved it, especially my daughter who smashed up and ate her own big piece! You would have never guessed it was vegan and the strawberry filling was wonderful. Thanks for making our celebration special!!

We ordered a vegan cake for my daughter’s first birthday since she has a cow milk protein allergy. It was not only beautiful but everyone at the party loved it, especially my daughter who smashed up and ate her own big piece! You would have never guessed it was vegan and the strawberry filling was wonderful. Thanks for making our celebration special!!

Chip R.

The Deets:On the occasion of finally getting to see my parents (we are all fully COVID-19 vaccinated now!), they brought me a couple of red velvet cupcakes from Ava's Cupcakes near where they are from. As red velvet is one of my favorite cake types, I was excited to give these a try. In having my first bite, I was pleasantly greeted with great taste...a classic red velvet taste but... more

The Deets:
On the occasion of finally getting to see my parents (we are all fully COVID-19 vaccinated now!), they brought me a couple of red velvet cupcakes from Ava’s Cupcakes near where they are from. As red velvet is one of my favorite cake types, I was excited to give these a try. In having my first bite, I was pleasantly greeted with great taste…a classic red velvet taste but not overpowering, nice and balanced. I like that the cupcake itself was sweet without being overly sweetened, again a good balance. It was a moist cupcake (was it the moistest cupcake ever for me, no, but certainly good and not dry and crumbly for sure). The cream cheese icing was tasty, a very good portion of it but just avoids being too massively overloaded. Overall, the red velvet cupcakes were delicious from Ava’s and I would definitely visit this shoppe if I had an opportunity when in that area.

Jeanine K.

A friend dropped these off for us and they are officially my favorite cupcake in the Winston/Clemmons area! The cupcake itself is moist and has great flavor and the icing is the perfect amount of sweet. I also LOVE that these all had a filling of some sort, it really gave the cupcake that extra depth in flavor.The 4 flavors we got were strawberry champagne, margarita, cookie dough and banana... more

A friend dropped these off for us and they are officially my favorite cupcake in the Winston/Clemmons area! The cupcake itself is moist and has great flavor and the icing is the perfect amount of sweet. I also LOVE that these all had a filling of some sort, it really gave the cupcake that extra depth in flavor.
The 4 flavors we got were strawberry champagne, margarita, cookie dough and banana guava.
My two favorites were the strawberry and the cookie dough (which are the ones I got a picture of the inside of).

We will DEFINITELY be stopping by to get more ASAP!

Helen Robinson

the cupcakes are amazing & the staff are always very friendly and helpful!Edit: if you haven’t tried the mini chocolate chip cookies, you’re seriously missing out! They’re amazing, I ended up buying three dozen within a week. I would be lying if I said I didn’t eat all of them by myself!

the cupcakes are amazing & the staff are always very friendly and helpful!
Edit: if you haven’t tried the mini chocolate chip cookies, you’re seriously missing out! They’re amazing, I ended up buying three dozen within a week. I would be lying if I said I didn’t eat all of them by myself!

Weddings

Obsessing over the most important cake of your life is what we do best.

A stunning wedding cake from Ava’s will leave you and your guests with the sweet memories!

Wedding Cakes

Corporate Events

It’s your job to arrange sweets for the meeting?
We’ll make you look good!

Image for Explore Corporate Events

A stunning dessert bar is the way to go for your next corporate event! No matter if you are hosting a holiday gathering or business anniversary, Ava’s Cupcakes has delicious desserts that will not only taste good but look beautiful on display!

decor image
icon the Doordash