The Sweet Tooth Fairy: a bite of sweet in a world of sour

The inside wall of The Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery in downtown Provo reads, “Our bake shop is a haven for people who share a common belief in the magic of sweets.”

You walk in to the small, unassuming shop on University Avenue and the nostalgic aroma of vanilla cake fills your head. The music of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra quietly play in the background, recalling a simpler time. Your eyes are immediately drawn to a lit display of baked sweets and colorful cupcakes generously swirled with frosting. Cookies, cream cheese brownies, lemon bars, cupcakes and cake-bites fill the white case like art on a blank canvas. They look too perfect to eat, and smell too good to not. Vintage-style cake plates and 1950s kitchen aprons decorate the walls.
The experience is truly magical. It is an escape.

Founder, principal baker and self-proclaimed “Sweet Tooth Fairy” Megan Faulkner Brown started the business in January 2009, a time when many local businesses were closing their doors. Not only is Brown surviving her first year in business, she has already gained loyal patrons and plans to open a new bakery by 2010.

Bloggers, businesses and media sources have spurred quite the following. Brown’s signature “cake-bites” were even featured on the Rachael Ray show.

Brittany Smith works full-time at The Sweet Tooth Fairy. “Megan uses family recipes. There is a staying power because they do taste different than other products. I think because it’s so good, people try it once and keep coming back,” she said.
She is right. Hannah Judd and her friends heard of the bakery from a well-known blogger who lives in Utah. “We first started coming because of ‘NieNie’ and we loved it so much, we kept coming back,” Judd said.

“NieNie” is Stephanie Nielson, a local hero and mother of four. She survived a near-fatal plane crash and now keeps a blog on her recovery. “NieNie” loved The Sweet Tooth Fairy’s vanilla cupcakes so much, Brown re-named them “VaNIElla Squared.”
Magnolia Bakery in New York City and Sprinkles in Los Angeles ignited the cupcake trend and The Sweet Tooth Fairy’s passionate employees and customers say it is not fading anytime soon. If it does, the bakery offers more than just cupcakes. Plus, local attention and popularity is on their side.

Two to three dollars for a cupcake may seem like a splurge to someone who may have lost their job, business or home. But then again, a few dollars for a bite of an ultimate comfort food and what Brown calls “magic” can easily be rationalized as a great bargain.

The Sweet Tooth Fairy is located on 1227 South University Ave. in Provo. They are open Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www.TheSweetToothFairy.com for more information.