When I found out that my favorite bakery would be closing its doors, I immediately decided to visit one last time. The only thing is—Johnny Cupcakes isn’t a bakery at all, it’s a t-shirt store designed as an elaborate prank to fool people into thinking it’s a bakery.
I discovered Johnny Cupcakes in 2008 and I drove four hours to Boston to experience the store for myself. The amount of effort that went into creating a t-shirt store cosplaying as a bakery was impressive, and I was excited to follow along with the brand’s journey. A month later, I drove back for a second visit and a year later I booked my first flight to California to experience their new LA store.
After these visits and numerous online orders, I remained inspired by the brand’s approach. Everything was done with excellence, every purchase felt like a unique experience, and they always stayed committed to the bit. This inspired me so much that when I started Peculiar PPL in 2011, I was driven to do the same for my customers.
When Johnny Cupcakes moved to a new location in 2022, it was always on my to-do list to visit, but I never got around to it. Then, when they announced that the retail location would be closing forever, I bought a plane ticket immediately. This visit became an urgent matter!
Four days before the grand closing, I arrived in Boston where the weather was so cold that I avoided smiling for fear of my face cracking open from dryness. I wore an undershirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a hoodie, a jacket rated for up to -4 degree temperatures, and gloves, but these things were no match for the coldness that still found its way into my bones. Although the coldness was unbearable, it was a small price to pay to deliver my final respects to the fakery bakery.
Walking into the store, I was enamored by one of the most unique retail experiences I’ve seen and the attention to detail was off the charts. I entered into the store through a giant oven, the t-shirts were presented in bakery refrigerators, there were custom-made ovens on the wall, the ceilings and floors were covered with custom bakery inspired designs, and there were four TV’s that played loops of classic movies with superimposed Johnny Cupcakes logos throughout. The icing on the cake (no pun intended) was that the TV’s were branded “Cupcake Vision” and the knobs were Johnny Cupcakes logos.
After chatting with the employee for a bit, I said my final goodbye and I left the store. I roamed around Boston to some of my other favorite locations, but before heading to the airport for my afternoon flight, I went back to Johnny Cupcakes one last time. I parked, went inside for a second visit to take it all in, and, when I felt like I was ready to let the store lay peacefully to rest, I left.
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When I arrived back at the car, I was greeted by a wonderful parking ticket for $40 because the Boston parking app added my parking credits for the wrong zone. But for a $40 fine, on top of hundreds spent in plane tickets and a rental car, all to say my final goodbyes to an old bakery friend? Completely worth it.