Liberty woman brings cupcakes to Kansas City's curbs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Simonie Wilson has been baking all her life, learning from a great aunt who owned a cake business. Now the Liberty, Missouri resident is living her dream and selling cupcakes inspired by her great aunt's recipes, but her store has wheels!

"I was drying my hair one day and said to my husband, 'you know what would work? A mobile cupcake truck!' and he took me serioulsy!" says Wilson.

She started 3 Girls Cupcakes, named for her daughters. She uses a large van to tote her creations all over town. Since she started making deliveries a few months ago, pulling up to busy intersections and office buildings, business has been sweet.

"I'm totally unsuspecting. I'll pull up to a spot that I normally expect one or two people and there will be thirty or fifty people!" she said.

Inspired by a trip to Nashville that offered a plethora of cupcake shops, Wilson's business model brings a west coast trend to Kansas City. Food trucks have been a constant on the coasts for years, but recently customers have had their pick of very specific gourmet trucks. One only serves different kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches, a cart in San Francisco serves only crepes. Wilson says she was just trying to fill the cupcake gap in Kansas City.

"I could have opened a shop here in Liberty, but then I would only serve Liberty. I wanted to take the cupcakes to the people."

She keeps an online schedule of several spots where she sets up shop around town. She'll even do drive-by's for customers who text or facebook her.

"I think I drove to somoene's house downtown last week," she said.

Check out the 3 Girls Cupcakes website!