Will Brake for Cupcakes

Alumnus’ sweet treats are Yum Yum in the tum tum

Joey Conicella, ’05 | Owner & Marketing Director, Yum Yum Cupcake Truck

By Angie Lewis, ’03

He may have dreamed of being a Disney animator when he grew up, but little did Joey Conicella, ’05, realize then that he would, indeed, be bringing smiles to the faces of children and big kids alike — just, in a different way.

For the past two years, his Yum Yum Cupcake Truck has been the frosting on Orlando’s food truck scene. At least six days a week, you can find Joey and his partner, Alex, baking up flavors like Funnel of Love, Key Slime, Ballad of El Churro, Cookies Got Creamed and Dough Dough Bird.

And, their creativity doesn’t end at cupcake names. Joey and Alex serve their tasty treats in stylish detail—everything from their characteristic bow ties to their shiny, silver bakery on wheels, adorned with a distinctive bright yellow retro logo and stripes.

So, what’s a typical day on a cupcake truck like? Joey says that’s what he loves most about his business. “There is no typical day! Our days are always long. We start baking very early in the morning, and trucks don’t come back from the evening events until 10 p.m.”

Yum Yum does have some competition in the area, but when we asked Joey what makes his cupcakes the best, he responded humbly.

“I never like to say that we’re ‘better’ or the ‘best,'” he explains. “Everyone has his or her own taste. Some people think we’re No. 1, and some people don’t care for us. But, everyone who bites into a Yum Yum Cupcake should know that they’re made from scratch every day in small batches. Alex and our team pour their hearts into each and every cupcake. I think people can taste that love.”

These colorful cupcake connoisseurs say they started the Yum Yum Cupcake Truck as a way to get to spend more time together. “We’ve always enjoyed being in the kitchen together, whether it was baking or cooking,” Joey says. “The whole thing was a very organic process.”

Although everything seemed to fall naturally into place, there is a secret ingredient behind his success.

“I’m the person I am today because of my four years at UCF,” Joey says. “Those years were among the best in my life. I truly love UCF and the city of Orlando. It’s filled with such positive people. On top of that, the community has embraced Yum Yum, and giving back is the least we can do to show our gratitude.” (Joey and Alex regularly donate cupcakes for various UCF events.)

As a student, Joey was a Marching Knight and a member of CAB, as well as part of the ad/PR groups, and he even started his own indie newspaper called The Floridian Slip.

This fall, Joey will be part of the leadership team for the UCF Nicholson School of Communication Alumni Chapter.

Want to satisfy your sweet tooth? During the fall and spring semesters (and occasionally during the summer semesters), you can find the Yum Yum Cupcake Truck parked in front of the UCF Burnett Honors College every Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For a complete schedule, check out the links below.

Playing with Food Q&A

Q. Bacon or Nutella?
A. Nutella, without question.

Q. If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A. Spaghetti with tomato sauce. Morning, noon and night.

Q. If you were reincarnated as an ice cream flavor, what flavor would you be?
A. Cannoli

Q. Ideal last meal?
A. Spaghetti

Q. Favorite condiment?
A. Does olive oil count? I’m Italian…

Q. Favorite snack?
A. Italian bread with olive oil

Q. What’s your favorite flavor of cupcake you make?
A. I’m a sweets guy, so it’s hard for me to choose. I never get sick of the Peanut Butter Choco-Rama. So there, I’ll go with that one!

More Info

theyumyumcupcaketruck.com
facebook.com/theyumyumtruck
twitter.com/yumyumtruck_fl