Vermont Bakery to Sell for $75, an Essay, and Your Best Cupcake Recipe

It's officially a trend. Writers will inherit the world—or, at least, certain business ventures and the property they occupy. Inspired by the bed and breakfast in Maine and the goat farm in Alabama a Vermont bakery is now on the market for the low price of $75, an essay (just 100 words this time!), and your very best cupcake recipe.

Mix Cupcakerie and Kitchen is a charming shop in Waitsfield that has been selling comfort food and cupcakes and catering local events for the past two years. But now, owner Carole Keleher's family is relocating to Cape Cod, and she needs to find a suitable owner to take over not just the storefront but the business as well—as quickly as possible. She decided the best way to do so was to charge interested applicants just $75.

For that price, aspiring bakers will receive: The 800 square foot storefront; everything in the fully-stocked kitchen down to the pots and pans; all of Keleher's popular recipes; 80 hours of training from Keleher herself; and the first two months rent, utilities, ingredients, and payroll for the existing two employees.

It's a pretty sweet deal, but Keleher isn't just giving the bakery away. Like the other two essay-contest offers, she is hoping the entry fees net her a decent amount of money. From a combination of $75 per applicant and local crowd-funding on Dreambroker Industries, she's hoping to raise $22,000 to recoup the money she's poured into the business in the form of renovations and equipment. 

"We're raising money to put a qualified person in place that maybe doesn't have the money to start on their own," Kelaher explained to the Valley Reporter. "I could take all this stuff and go to the Cape and start another business, but I feel like the store should stay open."

Unfortunately, if she doesn't receive the $22,000, all the entry fees and donations will be returned and Mix Cupcakerie and Kitchen will close. Take a look around the store in the video below and if you're interested, act fast! The contest is only open until May 17, and you might have to go against a certain mental_floss staff writer.