Sugar for grown ups

I love little specialty shops. That's one thing I love about New York- you can crave something, pretty much ANYTHING, and be able to find it somewhere. I just went to a bakery in downtown Chapel Hill, because I left my travel mug (full of coffee) in my room this morning, and needed a caffeine fix. Why a bakery? They have coffee, I need to take the bus, and they're literally right next to the bus stop. It's pretty good java, but that's not the point. I love going into this bakery. From the chalkboards outside telling me the daily cupcake flavors to the adorable signs in the gelato case to the exquisite wedding cakes in the window, this place has character. In marketing terms, it fills a 'unique need'. It feels traditional and modern at the same time, family-owned and still fresh. I feel sophisticated and hip walking out of the bakery, coffee in tow, which surprises me. A cupcake and glorified-ice-cream-place isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think 'hip'. Somehow, they managed it.