Student-run website delivers cakes straight to your door

Juniors Jon Bradford and Matt Brown have created a delicious way for parents to show their college-age students they care.

Their business, MyCampusCakes.com, was launched online Tuesday. It allows parents, friends and other family members to send decorative cakes and other goodies to college students.

Devin Newman, a friend of Bradford’s since freshman year, said Bradford has always been the type of person who enjoys coming up with all sorts of business ideas and ways to make services available to people on college campuses.

Newman said Bradford wants to work for himself and start his companies using his own creative ideas.

“He never wants to have a résumé,” Newman said.

The concept came about when Bradford’s parents started sending him cakes on his birthday each year, but he said the cakes were not packaged correctly. Not only were they costly and a hassle to deliver, but they also showed up smashed to pieces.

Bradford said Wake Forest University offers a similar service, but it is extremely expensive. All the cakes from MyCampusCakes.com are ordered from Kroger with same-day delivery to ensure the product is fresh and on time.

“Kroger has a big staff and is well-known by kids on campus,” Bradford said.  
Cakes are made 30 minutes prior to pick-up. The orders are called in the night before, and Bradford and Brown hand deliver each one to the desired location.

Napkins, plates and forks can also be delivered with the cake.

“You can even have them sing ‘Happy Birthday’ and embarrass your friends,” Newman said.

MyCampusCakes.com offers four different flavors of cake — yellow, white, chocolate or marble — and a choice of whipped or butter cream icing.

Online, you can also choose accent colors for messages, flowers and other decorations. The cake prices range from $15 to $35, and Bradford and Brown said they might add a larger cake option of $50 for big groups such as sororities or fraternities.

Brown said the University has care packages for students, but they come in cardboard boxes and are not as personalized. This service, on the other hand, offers personalized messages and allows customers to be specific about what they want to order.

The website offers more than just cakes, as well. Other options are soup from Soup’s On, study baskets for exam time, cupcakes and a Valentine’s Day package, which can include a cake, candy, bear and/or rose.

“There is also an e-mail option where you can customize your order, and we’ll give you a quote for what you want,” Brown said.

Bradford and Brown said they plan on staying during the summer to help promote their website by advertising to parents at freshman orientation and compiling a mailing list with their e-mail addresses and students’ birthdays so that ordering is easy.

“It makes it so much easier to have a cake delivered to your door,” said Newman. “And it’s fast too.”