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Sugar rush

Outrageous milkshake and cake shop pops up in Austin for limited time

Honeysuckle Teatime pop-up
San Antonio's Honeysuckle Teatime is bringing its treats to Austin for the first time. Courtesy photo

That sound you hear is thousands of shutters clicking. Pop-up sweets shop Honeysuckle Teatime is coming to Austin for the first time — and its colorful confections are sure to be one of this spring’s can’t-miss Instagram shots.

The company, founded by San Antonio entrepreneur Sara Lauren Hinojosa, is headed to Toms Austin at 1401 S. Congress Ave. on May 11, where it will serve its signature lavender vanilla milkshake topped with a cupcake, meringues, edible flowers, and glitter. There will also be a few cakes available, and Hinojosa will be accepting custom orders.

A self-taught baker, Hinojosa first became interested in dessert making while working in New York City galleries and event planning for celebrated restaurants like Jean-Georges. Sweets allowed her to combine her lifelong love of food with artistry.

“It allowed me to create my own kind of dessert voice,” she says, noting that the over-the-top sensibility is “inherently my style." Although the basic aesthetic has touches of the mermaid and unicorn trends, Hinojosa brings a baroque sensibility to her treats, layering handmade candies, flowers, and even plastic toys to make edible pop art.

That is one of the reasons why her handiwork is just as likely to be featured at museums as breweries, distilleries, and other traditional pop-up venues. While founding her shop, Hinojosa decided to skip the traditional brick-and-mortar route both because of the volatility of the San Antonio market and because the different outlets were a constant source of inspiration.

“[Being a pop-up] creates an opportunity for us to be wherever we want to be,” she says. “We constantly want to push the envelope.”

It also allows the business to follow a zero-waste policy. Each event is ticketed, so Hinojosa has an idea of the demand. She does note, however, that she makes 15 or 20 extra treats to accommodate walk-ins.

Tickets are open now for the first Austin event, but those who can’t make the date will have more opportunities to try Hinojosa’s soon at Madewell, Kendra Scott, and the Paper + Craft Pantry. She will also begin teaching cake classes at Broad Studios. Those interested can follow the pop-ups Facebook page for dates and details.

Sadly, she currently has no plans to bring her popular Game of Thrones milkshakes — complete with special effects like sparklers and dry ice — to Austin just yet. But maybe if enough people ask her nicely, she’ll change her mind.

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