BRANDON, Fla. — Anthony Lewis turned to cupcakes when he needed to raise money to pay his mother’s mounting medical bills.
“I was helping her pay for the chemo, and that got expensive,” says Lewis.
His mother, Selina King, was famous for her red velvet cakes and cupcakes using a secret family recipe. She would bake them for her family and church gatherings.
“This is unlike any red velvet you’ve ever had,” Lewis says.
When Selina was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, the 33-year-old decided to turn that red velvet goodness into a small business to help with the mounting bills.
And that’s how Selina’s was born.
“I’d never been a baker before, but I’m really good at following directions," says Lewis. "At first my mom was like, ‘Are you sure?’ And I told her, ‘I can do this!’”
He was right. Anthony used social media and free samples to build a sprawling fanbase.
Selina is now healthy and cancer-free, but her namesake desserts, which are sinfully delicious, continue to be profitable.
In his small Brandon kitchen, Anthony makes seven to eight dozen Selina’s cupcakes every day. The single dad then safely delivers them all over the Tampa Bay area.
With people sheltering at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, his word-of-mouth business is thriving these days.
“It’s gone up,” he says. “Business has actually moved up!”
To orders Selina’s cakes and cupcakes, visit www.facebook.com/SelinasRedVelvet/.
