Why $2 cupcakes conquer Arab appetites
| Amman, Jordan
鈥� A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
For those who鈥檝e never been to Amman, Sugar Daddy鈥檚 Bakery might seem an anomaly.
In the heart of the Arab capital, it鈥檚 an American bakery that specializes in cupcakes, inspired by the likes of The Magnolia Bakery in New York City, which itself rose to fame, in part, by being featured on the popular TV show 鈥�Sex and the City.鈥�
The shop is just one of many American-style stores that has proliferated across Amman over the past five to 10 years. Among many Jordanian elite, what鈥檚 American or Western has become what鈥檚 cool.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 a badge of honor if you can speak English fluently, and with that comes the desire for American products,鈥� says Fadi Jaber, owner and founder of Sugar Daddy鈥檚. Mr. Jaber estimates that about 60 or 70 percent of his Jordanian customers who come into the shop speak English. Most of his workers had to learn English on the job.
Indeed, the hunger for American or American-style products has spread across the region. After opening his shop in Amman in July 2007, Jaber went on to open two more: in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and in Beirut, Lebanon; in December 2008. While Jaber knew his store would most likely be moderately successful, he says, 鈥淭he reality has surpassed our forecast.鈥�
鈥淚 just felt that there were a lot of kids who鈥檇 studied in the States or who had been there鈥� and wanted something to remind them of their time there, says Jaber.
At a little over $2 per cupcake 鈥� about 20 percent of the average Jordanian government worker鈥檚 daily wages 鈥� Jaber says that only the top 5 percent of Jordanians can afford the 鈥渘aughty by nature鈥� or 鈥渇ake blonde鈥� cupcakes from his shop.
Though prices are the same in his other shops, he says that in Dubai it鈥檚 the reverse: Only about 5 percent of people there can鈥檛 afford his cupcakes. In Beirut, though people aren鈥檛 wealthier than they are in Amman, he says they鈥檙e more willing to splurge on sweets.
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