A First for Nashville- Gigi’s Cupcakes Appears on Undercover Boss

Gigi Butler’s passion for baking is unmatched. With just $33 left in her bank account, she followed her dreams to open a cupcake shop in Nashville just seven years ago. Now, Butler is leading America’s largest gourmet cupcake franchise and her passion for baking is translating into cities across the country. Butler’s incredible professional and personal journey will unfold on national television as she takes a look inside Gigi’s Cupcakes on the hit CBS series “Undercover Boss,” Friday, Feb. 13 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT and 7:00-8:00 PM CT).   11_ginagainesville

“Going undercover was one of the most difficult and rewarding things I’ve ever done,” said Butler. “It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that most company executives never get. I learned more about my company and how we’re serving our customers across the country, and I got to know some of the incredible people who work for us,” said Butler. “We are growing so fast, it’s important for us to continually examine our process in order to understand what we’re doing right and how we can improve. I’m so grateful for this experience.”

Jobs Butler did undercover include decorating cupcakes with the signature Gigi’s swirl (frosting), baking cakes and cupcakes, and customer service. One of her biggest takeaways was seeing how passionate the employees are who work in the bakeries. Butler was pleasantly surprised to see so many team members sharing her passion for baking and the overall Gigi’s culinary experience. Butler also learned that each Gigi’s location that she visited was operating with slightly different procedures, which led to some inconsistencies between the bakeries. As a result of “Undercover Boss,”
Gigi’s Cupcakes Founder, Gigi Butler (right) on CBS’ Undercover BossButler has already made changes in the growing franchise, including hiring more staff to help with on-the-ground company operations and training. These key staff members now travel and are in the stores more frequently to implement procedures, improve processes and fine-tune customer service with the goal of making sure, no matter which Gigi’s Cupcakes location you visit, it’s all consistent.

The Emmy Award-winning “Undercover Boss,” now in its sixth season, follows a different executive each week as they leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their companies. While working alongside their employees, they see the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organizations and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering and rewarding the unsung heroes who make their companies run.

Gigi’s Cupcakes opened the original bakery in Nashville in 2008 and today has nearly 100 franchise bakeries throughout the country, with plans to open 25 additional locations in 2015. The company just opened their first international location this month in South Korea with plans to expand in that area through a 100-unit franchise agreement. In recent years, Gigi’s Cupcakes has diversified its menu, adding cheesecakes, cookies, pies, bread loaves, specialty coffee and other specialty-baked treats and gluten-free items to appeal to a wide variety of customers. Gigi’s Cupcakes is located at 3065 Mallory Lane in Franklin.  To learn more about the specials offered after the airing of the show, visit their Facebook page.