Cake shop celebrates first anniversary

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press

Bits ‘N Bites cake shop held an anniversary with activities, prizes, and more on Saturday afternoon to celebrate one year in business. 

Rose Alvarado and Monique Murphy are the shop owners. Alvarado said she worked in an office job for years before deciding she wanted to work from home and be with her kids. She had never made cakes before but felt determined after watching “Cake Boss” and began selling cakes. 

“One thing led to another. It just got bigger and bigger and bigger, and I kind of grew out of my house so I ended up with this [shop],” Alvarado said. 

Alvarado was brought to Copperas Cove through the military but said she considers it her home and said she’s here to stay. She’s lived in a bunch of places and has travelled everywhere but never really called a place home before, she said. 

The anniversary celebration included music, face painting, balloons and appearances by Belle and the Beast from “Beauty and the Beast”, two of the Minions, and Poppy and Branch from the movie “Trolls”. Vendors included Kaydence’s Lemonade Stand, which was part of the National Lemonade Day; Boogie’s Backyard BBQ, with sausage wraps, hot dogs and other food items; a Scentsy consultant; GymKix; and Bearables. There was also a raffle with prizes including Disney themed Collector’s Dolls and $100, $75 and $50 gift certificates towards a custom cake from Bits N Bites. Each person received a raffle ticket with the purchase of any item in the Bits N Bites shop. The first 25 people at the event received a Bits N Bites coffee mug which will allow them to get free coffee for a year at the shop. 

There was also a bounce house in the shape of a birthday cake for the kids. 

Several times throughout the afternoon, the line to get into the cake shop trailed out the door, onto the front porch of the pink building and wound down the side ramp, occasionally ending in the parking lot. 

Alvarado said she plans on having a party like this every year, as a tradition, and that she hopes the community will expect it of her. 

“I just think that it’s a community effort because I think it’s because of the community that I’m here still,” Alvarado said. “And I want to be here for a long time so for me there’s no other way than to celebrate with the community.”

Sheena and Marcello Milteer came all the way from Nolanville with their daughters Kazen, 5, and Ophelia, 2, after finding out about the event through Facebook. 

Sheena said she wasn’t aware that Copperas Cove had a bakery until this event. Marcello said that out of all of the events happening that day, this celebration best suited what they wanted.

“I think it’s a great way for a business to celebrate a milestone and get the community involved. So now we’re aware of the business and the kids will probably be asking us every weekend to come back, so it’s great,” Marcello said. 

They left the event with boxes of cupcakes after taking advantage of all the fun available.

There was also an adult and junior “Cake Wars” cake decorating contests, with Junior Cake Wars having a Cat in the Hat theme and the adult participants making a Disney themed cake or treat. 

Jdges were Kathleen Serie with KWTX Channel 10; Amy Loughran, Copperas Cove High School’s Culinary Arts Department chair; Mayor Frank Seffrood; Col. Keith Sledd, Deputy Commander, 13th Sustainment Command, Fort Hood; and community judge Vanessa Stahley. 

Chicara Johnson won the adult Cake Wars, with her three-tier Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts themed cake, made with fondant and frosting. Keony Martinez won the Junior Cake Wars, with a “Cat in the Hat” themed entry and Candice Burch won the Dessert Wars, with her Rocky Road cookies. The winners won a basket of cake decorating supplies as well as a $100 Visa gift card. 

Alvarado shared that one of the best parts of owning and operating Bits N Bites is being able to create something she’s passionate about. 

“I’ve always been passionate about art, I just didn’t know it was going to be in cake form,” Alvarado said. 

She added that the community’s support is the most important thing. 

“To be talked about and to be known is such a good feeling,” she said. “It makes you want to just do better and give more.”