Curbside Cupcakes Celebrates First Anniversary of Hill East Shop

A local business that started with a single cupcake truck almost five years ago has grown into a full-service cafe.

As the 15th Street SE bakery Curbside Cafe celebrated the one-year anniversary of its brick-and-mortar location, co-owner Kristi Whitfield spoke with Hill Now about what she and her husband and co-owner Sam have learned thus far and what’s in store for the future.

Whitfield, whose family lives near H and 13th streets NE, said connecting to locals at the 257 15th St. SE business has been key to their success.

“We’ve really tried to engage the neighborhood,” Whitfield said. “Sam and I are really hands-on, and our favorite part of this is our relationship with customers.”

The Whitfields sold two of their three food trucks this summer and have focused on become more than a cupcake business.

“We’re thinking of ways to expand our offerings and become more of an neighborhood eating place,” Whitfield said.

Curbside’s full lineup of breakfast and lunch items includes an herbed butter grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough and tomato bisque. More lunch items are on the way, including a roast beef sandwich and a curried egg salad sandwich.

Customers can look out for holiday treats soon, too. Pumpkin walnut cupcakes are back, sweet potato cupcakes are coming in November. Chocolate peppermint sweets will be sold in December.

For the first time, Curbside will start selling pies this fall.

“I believe that I make a mean sweet potato pecan pie,” Whitfield said, noting that Curbside will sell pumpkin pie and maybe apple pie, too.

Whitfield, 45, said her family’s connection with Hill East has been especially meaningful lately, as her 2-month-old son has been hospitalized.

“There’s been an outpouring of support from neighbors who have come by and asked if there’s something they can do,” she said.