Cupprimo - Austin's Premium Cupcakery + Coffee House!

When Amy Closson opened Cupprimo in 2008, she wasn’t just baking cupcakes—she was creating a vibrant, family-friendly hub with a sassy twist. This Austin original quickly became a local favorite, earning national attention on Cupcake Wars. Freshly baked each morning, Cupprimo’s lineup includes three cupcake sizes, quiches, cakes, and a full coffee bar—where all milk alternatives are treated equally. As a true family business, all five of Amy’s children have been part of the team, and now Cupprimo is expanding with catering and children’s books inspired by its treats. Join Delivery Rank as we talk with Amy Closson, the creative force behind this beloved Austin institution, to talk about baking, business, and the secret ingredient that makes Cupprimo so much more than a cupcake shop.

What was the moment that sparked the idea for Cupprimo, and how did you bring your vision to life?

I have always loved coffee! Before moving to the great state of Texas, I owned coffee spots in the Midwest. After living in Austin for a short time, I was having a hard time finding great coffee. I really felt that to be fun and viable to have a dual concept idea. Coffee AND treats.

Growing up in a matriarchal family that loved a sweet treat, my mother lived by a philosophy that a dessert should always be at hand. And cupcakes and coffee seemed a natural fit. It’s not a surprise that Cupprimo was born.

As we have become the premier cupcake company in Austin, we still do it the way we started 17 years ago. Baking fresh every day and providing world class customer service in our family run business.

Competing on Cupcake Wars was a huge milestone! What was that experience like, and how did it impact Cupprimo’s journey?

It was thrilling! The funny thing is that I really had no idea what Cupcake Wars was about. I was too busy raising 5 kids and being an entrepreneur.

The Food Network found Cupprimo on social media and called me. I think it helped not knowing what I was getting into. It was a whirlwind!

Cupcake Wars happened in our first couple of years of being open and it was such a cultural phenomenon. No amount of self-marketing could ever compete with the boost being on the show gave Cupprimo.

Our episode ended up being one of the most popular of all time and I was able to mentor some of my fellow competitors. It’s still a dream of mine to be a judge myself on a baking show.

This opportunity also has allowed me to host many young cupcake enthusiasts at Cupprimo and give them some time to meet and talk. I’m still recognized from the show nearly 15 years past. That’s still pretty fun.

You bake everything fresh daily and offer an impressive range of treats. How do you keep your menu exciting while staying true to Cupprimo’s roots?

This is a GREAT question! I have a fantastic leadership team. My son Brandon has joined Cupprimo as a partner and he is leading all our expansion initiatives. It has added exactly what we needed. Being high volume in storefronts and corporate catering is so complex. Each of my 5 children have worked with us at Cupprimo at one time or another. I also have a child who is now a full-grown man and attorney so that helps to keep everything in-house.

As far as the menu vision, I find inspiration everywhere. My secret weapon is reading church cookbooks from the 1950’s and 1960’s. So many great flavor profiles hidden away in those. Our raving fans also submit ideas all the time, so we do it as a mystery flavor and then we let our customers choose if it makes it onto our menu. We have done over 375 flavors in our history. (That’s not a typo. LOL)

With Brad writing children's books inspired by Cupprimo’s cupcakes, storytelling has become part of your brand. What inspired this creative expansion?

Being creative is a cornerstone of our brand. Whether it’s new cupcake flavors, coffee drinks or social media posts, we are using our creative juices on a near constant basis. It has become part of our Cupprimo DNA. Our staff, our kids and our customers know that we are always looking for imaginative ways to keep our menu fresh and our patrons happy.

My husband and partner Brad is a really creative guy. He has written 13 children’s books including two about Cupprimo and I. He thinks Cupprimo and the cupcakes are great characters for storytelling.

Brad makes all of us better at Cupprimo. He was a 25+ year management consultant before joining me full-time over 4 years ago. He adds the structure at Cupprimo.

We also love little kids. Like… REALLY love them. We recently added a treasure chest at Cupprimo for them to pick a fun trinket when they visit. We also print out black and white pages of the Cupprimo children’s books for kids to color. Since our store is all about families, being a Mom and Pop store ourselves, adding the children’s books was a natural extension of our brand.

From catering to storytelling, you’re always growing. What’s next for Cupprimo, and what dreams do you still have for the brand?

So many plans! I’m not sure this article is long enough. LOL! We are always planning, always growing. It’s my way. As I mentioned earlier, our oldest son has joined us as a partner, with big ideas, a wonderful work ethic and energy to burn.

We have a major expansion initiative underway including adding another store in the North Austin area. Our corporate catering has exploded in the last 18 months. It’s become an amazing addition to our ability to provide desserts in mass to the business world.

We are also, after years of perfecting, launching a Cupprimo Mini Pie Company out of our central baking location. Nearly 15 kinds of mini pies will be available on our catering platform.

Balance this growth is important. We have a fantastic staff and want to help them grow. My dreams are still big and bold. I love Cupprimo, even starting our 18th year, and I look forward to many more years thriving in our lovely city of Austin. We aren’t slowing down yet, and with Brandon on board, there’s a whole open world ahead.

Currently, we are preparing for our busiest 8 weeks of the year (April-May) and as we do this interview, I’m wondering if Mulberry would be a good summer cupcake flavor. I think so!

To read more about Cupprimo, please visit https://www.cupprimo.com/