Sweet Janine's is a DRIVE-THRU only bakery located in the City of Lake Forest. With an emphasis on cupcakes, this drive thru location allows customers to quickly and easily purchase cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cakes and more - all without having to leave the comfort of your car. We recently sat down with Janine to more out about her business
Tell me a little about your business? What makes it unique?
Sweet Janine’s is a bakery specializing in cupcakes but offers a wide assortment of baked goods. It’s everything that I enjoy baking, and is unique because it’s all available in a drive thru! Customers get to pull right up, roll down their window, and can see everything that’s available in the display window. No one has to get out so it’s convenient for people looking to satisfy their sweet tooth, while on the go. It’s great if you’re in a hurry or have a car full of hungry kids.
How did you get involved in this industry?
I’ve always loved baking and cooking. My grandmother taught me how to make simple things such as grape juice, jam, and cookies, and I always enjoyed doing it with her. When I was 16, I worked at TCBY (The County’s Best Yogurt) and was taught how to make cakes and pies. That’s when I saw how many tools and gadgets there were to create amazing treats! There are so many flavor combinations and colors you can use – it’s very exciting to me.
How did you start your business?
Ever since I can remember, I would always make cakes and cookies and things for people – friends, family, cow-workers. It became a side business ion top of my regular work, so it was a natural progression to start my own business. I officially started my business 4 years ago where I just did catering. But I really wanted something more settled and where I could reach more people so I started looking at bakeries for sale and different spaces for lease. I wanted to turn my business into a store front.
Why did you choose to locate in Lake Forest?
I chose the space in Lake Forest after searching for months. I looked from Costa Mesa down to San Clemente, but nothing seemed to be a good fit. I then stumbled across the drive thru… not even realizing it was a drive thru at the time – I just knew I liked the size of the building. When I got out of the car and looked inside, I was surprised to see the building had a drive thru window! I thought “this is perfect! Drive thru cupcakes & treats!” I immediately called the leasing agent and was able to secure the space. Drive thru cupcakes – its what we’ve been missing. It is the only drive thru cupcake shop in all of Orange County, and Lake Forest is its home.
Any special promotions we can advertise?
Sweet Janine’s currently offers $2.00 Tuesday’s for cupcakes! We also have a great coupon offer included in the Shop & Dine Lake Forest Week coupon booklet! If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, there are often giveaways, daily deals, promotions, and contests that are posted. Sign up and start following us today!