Expansion is sweet for Casey's Cupcakes

"Cupcake Wars" winner and Laguna Beach shop owner Casey Reinhardt plans to expand her Casey's Cupcakes shops to Newport Beach and Irvine before the end of the year.

Reinhardt has locations on Ocean Avenue in Laguna Beach and at the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, which her father owns, in Riverside.

"It's always been a dream of mine to expand Casey's Cupcakes," the Laguna Beach native said. "Even before I had Casey's Cupcakes, I knew I wanted to do something huge."

The two new locations, slated for Fashion Island and Woodbury Town Center, are in family-friendly environments.

"Woodbury will be perfect for cupcake-decorating parties, hanging out with friends or going on dates," she said. "It's the perfect place for families to hang out."

The Fashion Island location is projected to open by November, and the Irvine location, which will have outdoor seating, will follow shortly thereafter.

"Fashion Island is such a prestigious mall, and I really wanted Casey's Cupcakes to be part of that prestigious name," she said.

Reinhardt is also expanding her product line. Her shops are introducing cupcakes for dogs — dubbed "pupcakes" — along with specialty cakes for events such as weddings and birthdays.

In addition to her stores, Casey's Cupcakes products are also sold at the Bloomingdale's at Fashion Island and in Santa Monica and Century City.

The buzz generated from her TV show win on "Cupcake Wars" has reached as far as Dubai, where people are asking for orders.

Reinhardt said her most recent challenge has been trying to figure out how to package and mail cupcakes internationally so they look just as polished as they are behind her shop's glass windows.

"I'm learning something new every single day," she said. "The more we open locations, the more demand we have."