After Ken Park graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in advertising design, he landed a job in New Jersey as a graphic designer. But that career path did not satisfy him.

‘I would go into Manhattan a lot because I lived so close, and I would see all the fancy restaurants where people would hang out, with the fancy food and especially desserts,’ Park said. ‘There, the dessert is just as important as the meal.’

Park soon picked up a job at a café in New Jersey, learned how to make specialty coffee drinks and moved back to Syracuse in August 2010 to set up a shop. With the help of his girlfriend Young Choi, a senior selected studies major, and their friend Jae Lee, a fourth-year law student, Park opened Life is a Piece of Cake in January.

The new shop is hard to ignore. Walking down South Crouse Avenue, Life is a Piece of Cake — a bakery, café and lounge in one — stands out with its bubblegum pink pillars. That same bright color covers the walls inside, where there are several small tables and two sets of plush armchairs to sit in. Park and Choi selected all the décor and worked together on the interior design for the shop.

‘It’s a really cute place,’ said Nawei Yang, a sophomore finance major. ‘Girls like pink.’

Another appealing factor is the Louis Vuitton bag displayed in a glass box in the center of the room. Park decided to raffle off the designer bag as part of a grand-opening sweepstakes. By spending more than $5, any customer gets a chance to win the purse. The bag will be raffled off on Valentine’s Day.

The new shop has become so popular that Park extended the original store hours by an hour, he said. He has also been considering hiring more employees. Park said he is particularly searching for baristas who would be able to make the shop’s variety of coffees, teas and specialty drinks, as he is currently the only one who knows how to make them.

‘I’ve heard that their stuff is really good,’ said Sawyer Tobey, a sophomore anthropology major who plans on visiting the shop soon. ‘I heard their ice cream coffee soda is phenomenal.’

That is just one of the many specialty drinks Life is a Piece of Cake offers on its menu. Park said it is the only shop that serves affogato, a popular drink at many coffee shops in New York City that features a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a shot of espresso. There is also the Gold Cappuccino, a cappuccino topped with an edible 23-karat-gold leaf.

Many of the drinks found at coffee shops such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are on the menu.  Drinks include caramel macchiatos, iced lattes, premium teas and hot chocolate. This puts the new shop in direct competition with these major franchises, Park said.

‘I don’t think it will affect (Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts) at all since they’re such big chains,’ Tobey said. ‘Nothing is going to stop people from getting their Starbucks or Dunkin’.’

Though the new shop faces strong competition, it has other qualities that make it appealing, Park said. Life is a Piece of Cake has exclusive distributing rights with Café Kubal Coffee Roasters, located in downtown Syracuse. The shop receives fresh high-quality beans and unique syrups not found at other coffee shops.

Another aspect of the bakery that sets it apart is its baked goods, which are made in the shop daily at 6 a.m. The bakery’s bestsellers — red velvet cupcakes and the Swiss Chocolate roll — are made regularly, but different edible creations are whipped up every day, Park said.

Customers have been comparing the bakery to the many other eateries on Marshall Street. Insomnia Cookies recently began selling cupcakes. Yang, the sophomore finance major, mentioned she would like to see the new bakery serve bubble tea, like in Unique Tea House on Marshall Street.

What Life is a Piece of Cake has to offer is a relaxing space and ambiance that makes students feel welcome, said Tobey, who views the shop as a great place to go on a date or with friends.

‘Starbucks is always crowded. I see it as more of a quick place to get in and get out, not to stay and chat,’ said Jun Yao, a sophomore accounting and finance major. ‘Here, it is very nice to sit and talk.’

dodiama@syr.edu

Published on February 1, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Danielle: dmodiama@syr.edu | @daniemarieodie