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After satisfying the sweet tooth of New Yorkers over the past six years with a chain of Manhattan locations, it only made sense to the owners of Crumbs Bake Shop to expand its New Jersey presence in a densely populated city right across the Hudson River.

The kosher bakery known for its delicate cupcakes will open a new Hoboken store May 2, about two months after starting up in Westfield. With a large number of young families and children, along with vibrant nightlife for a New Jersey town and professionals already familiar with Crumbs because they commute to New York for work, Hoboken was an obvious choice for the company's 20th store.

"It just fit the mold for us. The brand is well-known in New York and hopefully will translate well into Hoboken, with all the transients there," said Jason Bauer, who owns Crumbs along with his wife Mia. "We are expecting the moms in the strollers all day long and the dinner and bar scene in the evening. Then on the weekend, we expect just about anybody."

Customers will be treated to the bakery's trademark cupcakes in addition to other assorted pastries including cookies, muffins, scones, and cakes. Cupcakes such as Brownie, Cappuccino, and Peanut Butter Cup, in addition to even more exotic flavors like Grasshopper, Lolly LaCrumb, Devil Dog, Blackout, and Raspberry Swirl, range from $2.25 to $3.75 apiece.

Though it isn't on the cheaper end for a cupcake, Bauer explained that Crumbs only opens up in communities that can afford its price points. The business is as strong as ever despite the ongoing economic downturn, he said.

"Our brand is an affordable luxury. You don't have to spend $200 on an elaborate dinner, but instead you can buy a box of special cupcakes for under $20 and still be a hero at home," Bauer said.

Much like Crumbs' nine Manhattan sites, the new store at 409 Washington Street won't close until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, with a daily opening time of 8 a.m. The goal, Bauer said, is "to stay open as long as the people are on the street." Hoboken's streets fit the bill, as they are often filled late into the night on weekends due to a glut of bars in the center of town.

In Westfield, Bauer said that business so far has been like a "mob scene" with constant lines. Additionally, Crumbs has plans to open in Ridgewood by September and in Summit by the end of 2009.

"It's almost as if people had never eaten before in Westfield," Bauer said. "As high as our expectations were for that location, they've been blow away."

Crumbs stores receive kosher certification from Orthodox Kashruth Supervision Services (OKS), led by Rabbi Harry Cohen. The bakery has always been receptive to Cohen's guidance and uses high-quality ingredients, he said.

"If you look at the way they present their items, with their workmanship and decoration, you aren't throwing them away," Cohen said. "Most of their baking is done by hand. It's like a painter with a piece of art. These bakers enjoy their work."

Since the bakery caters to a diverse dining crowd, it often doesn't seem like a kosher store to the average passerby. Even Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, from the United Synagogue of Hoboken, admitted that he wasn't initially positive that the new store would be kosher.

"To this day, I still talk to people about Crumbs and they have no idea we are kosher," Bauer said. "There aren't a lot of great kosher bakeries around, so hopefully we can fill that void."

It certainly fills a large void in Hudson County, where residents haven't recently sniffed a kosher bakery or restaurant in their immediate area.

"It's exciting that people who keep kosher in Hoboken have an additional option," Scheinberg said.