Random Acts of Sweetness Delivers

Jessica Antequera and Tiana Conlon never thought they would be making a living baking cupcakes and cakes together when the two Portsmouth women met in the 7th grade.

But after dabbling in different careers such as law and IT tech support, they decided that making cakes is a lot more fun than other jobs they had done. How they came up with the name for their new bakery on State Street, Random Acts of Sweetness, was almost as spontaneous as their decision to come full time bakers.

"Quite honestly, this was a random act for both of us," said Conlon on Wednesday.

The new bakery officially opened on Oct. 19, but it took more than a year after the two women signed the lease to get to that point. Antequera said they signed to lease for the 1,000-square foot space in July 2011.

"We had a lot of different challenges. We had to build a whole new kitchen from scratch," said Conlon. They also had to hire a contractor to rip up the floors and put in new plumbing. Then the contractor suffered an accident and couldn't work on the shop for a while.

"There were a lot of things that created a perfect storm for us, but we go through it," Conlon said.

Neither Conlon or Antequera has any previous baking experience and Conlon said they decided to give baking a try because they are big fans of the television show, "Ace of Cakes" on the Food Network. They also receive some help in the kitchen from family and friends free of charge, which they appreciate.

Based on how well their cupcakes have been received by their customers and fellow business owners up and down State Street, Conlon and Antequera believe it has been all worth it. "People have been so supportive and so friendly in this area," Conlon said.

The names they give their cupcake creations are just as flavorful and fun as their sweetness. Some of them include a carrot cake called "What's Up Doc?" and "Spiced Girl," and "Berry Busy." For Halloween, they created some Severed Ogre Fingers cookies that sold for $1 each. Their cupcakes sell for $3 each and every purchase is tax free.

Conlon explained that because they don't sell coffee or other beverages, customers don't have to pay any of the state's meals tax. Conlon and Antequera also hope to sell many custom designed cakes that can range in price from $200 to $2,000 each depending on the size and design.

They are also optimistic they will be successful despite the challenges faced by other State Street businesses from the closure of the former Memorial Bridge and the construction of the new bridge, which is scheduled to be completed by July 2013.

"We just have to make sure we keep a good balance between the retail and the specialty cakes," Conlon said. They also realize they must maintain high quality standards.

Random Acts of Sweetness is open on Wednesday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.