Now you can have your cake and eat it too at Prickle, a new bakeshop next to Stump’s Family Marketplace in Point Loma.
It might seem unusual to have a bakeshop with a cactus for a name and mascot, but it is entirely appropriate for the bakeshop’s new owner.
“It’s inspired by all the cacti and succulent vegetation here: I love it,” said Blair Braz, a Canadian native who pointed out there aren’t a lot of cacti up north. “I started back in Canada decorating cakes and I would put on buttercream cacti, succulents, and that sort of thing. So I became known for that back home.”
Prickle opened about three weeks ago at 3772 Voltaire St. in the plaza across the street from the Point Loma/Hervey Branch Library.
Noting her husband is in the healthcare field, Braz said the weather, the lifestyle, and job opportunities were all factors drawing them to the States and San Diego. “I had been hoping to open a bakery in Canada, but when we decided to move down here, we were looking at locations and ended up taking over for Cupcakes Squared Inc., which was here for about 16 years,” said Braz. “Their owner retired. Now I’ve taken over.”
Prickle does not sell donuts or bagels, which are available nearby from other businesses in the local baking industry. Braz talked about what Prickle does specialize in. “Every day in the display case we have a variety of different cupcakes, cookies, brownie bars, and cakes,” she said. “Oftentimes, in our to-go fridge, we have cakes already decorated for people who just want to come in, grab a cake and go. My business caters more to the modern, Instagram-worthy kind of foodie style versus more traditional styles.”
There is another side to Prickle, an educational component.
“A big part of our business is that we teach cake-decorating classes here in the shop, generally in the evenings,” Braz said adding, “I love decorating and teaching. We are starting to host parent and child classes as well. We have a number of those coming up. We are going to be looking for another venue to host them, just so we can accommodate more people.”
Of her baking craft, blank noted: “I’m really passionate about it.” Braz added cake baking started as a hobby but quickly became a calling. “I wanted to make my son’s first birthday cake,” she said adding, “I just wanted to make a resource for people who want to try decorating cakes, and have no idea of where to start. The classes are fun, different, and a unique experience that people can do.”
Most of Prickle’s customers so far are from the Peninsula, but her cake-decorating classes have drawn interest from those living as far away as Oceanside.
Looking ahead, Braz noted she’d “really like to get more involved in the community, as well as making sure we have the best quality products. Hopefully, as we continue to grow our customer base, we’ll open up more hours.”
PRICKLE BAKESHOP
Where: 3772 Voltaire St.
Hours: Thursdays-Saturdays 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Contact: pricklebakeshop.com, 858-335-5203.
