The opening of the first Sprinkles Cupcakes in Ventura County will include an appearance by founder and “Cupcake Wars” judge Candace Nelson on Wednesday in Thousand Oaks.
Located next to Barnes & Noble at The Promenade at Westlake, the newest site in the Sprinkles chain will open at 9 a.m. Nelson will greet patrons from 2-4 p.m.
Tickets valid for $100 gift cards redeemable at Sprinkles or the shopping center will be baked into 20 cupcakes for random distribution throughout the day.
A former investment banker turned pastry chef, Nelson opened the first Sprinkles in Beverly Hills in 2005. The chain now has 12 locations in the U.S.
Last year, Nelson added a 24-hour cupcake ATM and a Sprinkles Ice Cream location steps from the original bakery on Santa Monica Boulevard.
In addition to seasonal flavors like Caramel Apple, which features spice cake studded with Granny Smith apples and frosted with caramel cream cheese, Sprinkles has red velvet cupcakes in vegan and gluten- and sugar-free variations. It also makes a sugar-free, yogurt-frosted cupcake for dogs.
Regular store hours will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays. The address is 180 Promenade Way, Suite A. Call 370-5306 or visit http://www.sprinkles.com.