Article in Napa Register

In the face of a family illness, Gigi’s cupcakes, in Browns Valley, has closed. The shop, decorated in signature pink and black accents, once sold homemade cupcake flavors such as Red Velvet, Devil’s Food Cake, German Chocolate and Meyer Lemon. Jennifer Huffman/Register

The doors are locked and the kitchen lights are off at Gigi’s Cupcakes in Browns Valley.
Citing the illness of her husband Bill, shop owner Laura Young closed the family bakery on Christmas Eve. The business first opened on Valentine’s Day, 2009.
Bill Young’s cancer has recurred, said Young, and she and her family want to focus their energies on his health. Bill Young is about to begin more than four months of chemotherapy.
“Our life has been changed,” wrote Laura Young on the store’s blog, “and we are going to make the most and best out of what we have.”
While foot traffic in the bakery had slowed when Zinsvalley Restaurant moved from Browns Valley to downtown, outside accounts and other walk-in business kept them busy, said Young. It was a hard decision to close, she said, but with her husband’s health crisis, owning the shop “doesn’t mean the same anymore,” she said.
Gigi’s was a family business, with both Laura and Bill Young working in the store. Photos of their children and grandchildren decorated the space. Kids toys, tea sets and other gift items were offered for sale in the shop’s retail area. “It really was all about the family and the grandkids and our dog,” named Gigi, she said.
The bakery opened at a time when the cupcake craze seemed to hit Napa. Within months, two other cupcake bakeries also debuted, Kara’s Cupcakes and Sift: a Cupcakery. Facing competition from two other bakeries wasn’t the problem, said Young. “There was room for all of us,” said Young. “Everyone has (his or her) own personality and style. We were very happy with what we had and what we did,” at Gigi’s, she said.
“Thank you to everyone that cared and became part of our journey,” wrote Young on the store’s blog. “We had some great young ladies that worked for us and became part of our family. We met some wonderful people along the way. What we leave behind are the memories and cherished ones, but we will make more in the days to come.”
“It was a great little dream that we put together,” said Young.
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
For more on Gigi’s and the Youngs, visit http://gigiscupcakesnapa.blogspot.com/