# Customer reaction to tulip baking cups



## ellenda (Jan 17, 2016)

Hi,

I've read this forum for months - I've loved seeing everyone's perspectives on so many topics. And now I have a question. I own a confection and dessert company; we're adding a new retail space and expanding our line to include muffins, coffee cakes and cupcakes. I love the look and ease of tulip cups, but I'm wondering about customer reactions. If you've used these, what have customers thought? Does the dressier presentation lead to willingness to pay a higher price? Any thoughts on color - natural kraft vs dark brown?

I'm attaching a couple photos for reference.

Thanks,

Ellen





  








Natural kraft tulip.jpg




__
ellenda


__
Oct 12, 2016












  








Dark brown tulip.jpg




__
ellenda


__
Oct 12, 2016


----------



## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Hi @ellenda welcome to Chef Talk and congrats re the growth of your business.

I have always been partial to tulip cups....to me they look homey and homey equals fresh out of my Gma Van's oven.

About the pricing.... the cups look rustic and massive and artisanal (use those exact words and watch those muffs fly out of the case lol).

Your price will reflect the increased amt of batter/add ins plus your CDB and (the fun part) PROFIT.

Most customers will gladly shell out a bit more for a larger, quality product.

A gm here...an oz there.... at the end of the day it is all about getting customers to give you something that you want (money) for something you have magically produced by the sweat of your brow.

mimi


----------



## ellenda (Jan 17, 2016)

Hi @flipflopgirl thanks so much for the input - your feedback is helpful. I notice you're in Texas - I'm originally from Houston, and the spot we're opening here is Texas-inspired. Bringing Houston poboys and kolaches to Colorado 

Thanks again -

Ellen


----------



## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Hey @ellenda,

In Big D.

Reps were bothering me with these a while back.

15 yrs. ago I drew an imaginary red line the reps can't cross to approach me verbally so they drop samples. Everything they dropped was made with greaseproof paper. I told my wife to ask them to bring by some made with silicone coating or parchment. Wife says they would just stand there and stare at her like she had just grown another head. Never saw anything else.

One Holiday I ordered in some large fancy molded paper for Panettones. I didn't bother to check them. They were made of greased paper.

What a mess! More than stuck, baked into the crust. So I still use the old Quillon. pre-fold and two bathroom waste baskets to form.

I've been in Park Cities/Highland Park area for 16 yrs. I blessed in that a majority of my customers have an educated palate and come for the quality and not so much the fluff.

PM your offerings, I'd love to take a look. I get a lot of feedback from Colorado. Don't know where you are, but a lot of my customers have seasonal homes there. We're a small family type bakery, so all the Parkies think we are their own personal bakers and always bring us back critiques of product when they travel. One friend just got back from their vacation home in Oregon,(they yacht from there), she said she went into an upscale bakery and asked for cupcakes. The counter person just laughed and said, "honey, you're about a year and a half to late". That fad is long gone. go figure


----------



## ellenda (Jan 17, 2016)

Hi @panini -

Nice to meet you, and thank you for your feedback. Agree w/ you on greased paper - that plus coffee cake has been a nightmare for us in the past. What a mess. Seemed like a good idea at the time...

And nice to hear about your place and customers in Dallas. We Texans love to visit Colorado like few other places - I'm surprised by the number of Texans I run into the mountains.

And finally, I hear you on the cupcake fad. Certainly not a centerpiece of what we do, but something we'll include as an option.

I'll PM you - look forward to chatting.

Ellen


----------



## jcakes (Feb 18, 2007)

I've never used these tulip cups so I'm from the perspective that a muffin would look good in these because it's a morning pastry - something that isn't adorned with any frosting or glaze or what have you.

For a cupcake, not so much.  Part of the appeal of a cupcake is the way you finish it - a swirl of buttercream, something sprinkled on it or you roll it in (oreo crumbs, sprinkles, ganache....) - that would be impossible to do with a tulip cup. Right now, we have a spice cupcake with a caramel buttercream and a caramel drizzle and white chocolate stars - people love the way the caramel drips down the sides and I can't say we'd be able to do that in a tulip cup.

Depending on your volume, you might - or might not - be able to use a cupcake liner in brown for cupcakes and the tulip cups for muffins.  You have to store the stuff, and too many options takes up a lot of room and money


----------



## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

I can't remember if the samples I had received were glued or not. Personally I think glued would defeat the purpose.This is nothing new or cutting edge. They have been a part of the street walk ups and cafes in Italy for a long time. They showed me how to fold them years ago in a large size for my use. Honestly, the look isn't all that great. I don't know how they are advertised here, in the US premade, I would bet, without product. I guess if you were doing low volume you might have the time to make sure the exposed paper is totally clean.

The concept is great for for street fare. I try to visit at least 3 bakeshops a day when I travel. They cups are easy to handle, you grab a cappuccino and a snack, grab a table, and you peel and unfold the  sides and have a clean surface to catch little pieces and crumbs.

  15 yrs. ago, I was open early morning, I hand made these papers for our jalapeno corn muffins, hot, slice the top and a dollop of grilled red pepper butter. Accounted for 60-70% of our muffin sales. I used coated paper so the only place for the butter to go was inside the muffin.

just sayin


----------



## ellenda (Jan 17, 2016)

Hi @JCakes - thanks for the feedback. You're so right on how multiple options = storage, plus other issues as well. More SKUs = more problems.

Hi @panini - now I want one of those jalapeno corn muffins w/ grilled red pepper butter. Damn.


----------

