I have always enjoyed the unique cupcake flavors at Just Baked, but the standout for me has always been the coffee. The previous owners definitely knew how to make an amazing cup of joe.
Sadly, this has changed, with the change of ownership in the past month.
First off, the cupcakes. We recently bought six cupcakes, and while the icing tasted the same, the cupcake itself was very, bland, and the vanilla one was almost tasteless, with a grainy texture. A far cry from what they used to be. Out of four different flavors purchased, not a single one of them was good.
The coffee. Oh my. Just Baked is one of the only coffee shops in the Lake Norman area that makes their own flavor syrups, out of natural ingredients. The Cinn-a-bee used to be AMAZING, made with real cinnamon and local honey.
While they still offer coffee with homemade syrups, the new owner (who has been the one making the coffee both times I have been since the switch), definitely needs to hone her technique, or hire a barrista. The Cinn-a-bee I ordered a few weeks ago was lukewarm and watery, the Pumpkin Spice latte I ordered today was scalding hot and tasted burnt.
What upset me the most, however (and is the reason for the 2 stars), was the sneaky .75 charge they added for a flavor shot, despite a clear price on the board for the Pumpkin Spice latte. It is already a rather expensive drink, but I really don't like finding a hidden charge, one I probably have not noticed except that I paid with Square. To top it off, I barely tasted the Pumpkin Spice flavor.
Just Baked, it was good while it lasted, and as much I like to support local business, I don't see myself going back anytime soon.