WICHITA, Kansas, August 20, 2008 – It’s not always easy starting up a new business, but for a Wichita bakery, it’s been a “cake walk” ever since it opened.

The Sykes sisters say that when they or their mother baked cakes for family or friends, everyone raved. So, they combined their collective talents and made a business out of it. It’s called Sugar Sisters Bakery and Café.

“I got my major from Wichita State in art, and my sister's an architect, my dad's a musician and my mom is an artist,” said co-owner Katie Sykes. “We're first time business owners, so we're still trying to work out a lot of the kinks.”

That includes streamlining an ambitious menu. Mom bankrolled the $200,000 they spent on opening the place.

“I'm more of an adviser, I’m the company accountant,” she said. “We financed it by putting a second mortgage on my home,” said co-owner Patty Sykes.

When Sugar Sisters first fired up its ovens, it almost got burnt, but in a good way. Business at the College Hill location was four to five times the Sykes’ original projections. They had to scramble to readjust to their good fortune. They now have 30 employees on their payroll.

About 25 percent of their goodies are to go. But most of the food they serve is enjoyed in their eclectic surroundings. They serve specialty coffees, bakery goods, soups, salads and sandwiches. And they are known for their “baby cakes.”

Most franchise restaurants attempt to look independent, but from the start, the Sugar Sisters have had aspirations.

“We wanted ours to come out looking like it could be a franchise,” Patty said.

If business keeps up as it has their first few months of operation, they expect to pay off initial debt in fewer than two years. And you may see a family of Sugar Sisters Bakeries across the country.