Baked by Melissa launched its first at-home baking products at Target starting Sunday, offering cupcake kits, liners, and a cupcake pan in three flavors: Christmas Tie-Dye, Marshmallow Hot Cocoa, and Red Velvet. The products come in the brand's signature bite-size portions.
The move reflects a broader trend among restaurant chains entering consumer packaged goods. California Pizza Kitchen and TGI Fridays have licensed brands for frozen foods for decades. Chick-fil-A and Dutch Bros have moved into grocery products more recently. Smaller companies like Momofuku and Carbone use grocery shelves to extend brand reach and lower customer entry costs.
Baked by Melissa, founded by Melissa Ben-Ishay in 2008, operates nine permanent locations in the New York area and ships nationwide. The brand has built a social media following of more than 2.8 million on TikTok through recipe videos. Ben-Ishay has collaborated with Ferrero and Wonder.
Ben-Ishay told CNBC she decided to pursue at-home products a year ago during a Target visit with her children. "I love baking cake mix. I truly do. And, quite frankly, sometimes I just think it tastes better," she said.
The retail process moved slower than the company's usual pace. Creating Knicks-branded minicupcakes took a few days, but retail products required "a lot of waiting and approvals and new partners," Ben-Ishay said.
Target faces pressure to boost sales during the critical holiday season after a disappointing holiday period last year. Ben-Ishay chose Target because she is "a 42-year-old mom of two" who shops there frequently.