Creating Memories for 30 Years!
Creative Cakes Bakery Celebrates 30 Years as Local, Family-Owned Chicago Area Business
The weekend of November 8th through November 10th, Creative Cakes will celebrate 30 years as a Chicago Area local, family-owned business! Creative Cakes currently operates two locations in Illinois, a Bakery in Tinley Park and a Design Studio in downtown Naperville.
In celebration, customers at the Tinley Park location will receive a surprise discount off their walk-in purchase. The bakery will be fully stocked with delicious cakes, cupcakes, pastries, cookies and donuts. Every customer will receive a complimentary cake cutter commemorating the 30 years in business. Drawings will also be held throughout the day for gift cards and t-shirts.
Creative Cakes has been a local, family-owned bakery since its beginning in 1989 (originally founded by the Polimenakos family). Now co-owned by sisters Becky Palermo and Beth Fahey, the bakery is proud to have a talented team of cake consultants, bakers and decorators and to offer the highest quality products. Its real, Italian meringue buttercream is made from scratch using 100% butter, sugar, egg whites, and vanilla. “Our decadent chocolate cake and light as air chiffon cake are labors of love that most bakeries won’t attempt,” says Becky, Creative Cakes’ longest employee. Becky has been with Creative Cakes since the spring of 1992.
As business grew, the bakery moved to a small location on 159th street in Tinley Park. At the time, there was no storefront – only pre-order custom cakes were available. This changed in 2005 when the sisters, who took over ownership in 2003, decided to move to a new, larger location on Oak Park Avenue in Rubino’s Plaza. The move was an important one for the sisters, who wanted customers to be able to walk in and enjoy their delicious cakes, cookies and pastries anytime of day. This was also a pivotal time for the bakery industry as a whole. The Internet and increasing popularity of decorating shows featured on the Food Network contributed greatly to the company’s growth. However, it takes more to sustain this growth long-term.
Creative Cakes has always been committed to providing the highest level of customer service and consistently earns 5-star ratings on Wedding Wire, The Knot, Google and Yelp. “Our customer’s life events are very special and it is important to take the time and care to ensure that not only will the cake be delicious, but that it will be a centerpiece for their guests to talk about for years to come!” Becky says with pride. Taking care of their employees is of equal importance to the sisters. Adds Becky, “they are as much a part of our family as we are to each other. We take pride in the fact that we hire based on our Core Values. Make the Next Person Successful, Act with Reputation in Mind, Go the Extra Mile and Generate Positive Energy have been the values we live and breathe by for over 10 years now. Many of the employees that we hired on when the business was growing and evolving are still with us today. Giving them the tools to tackle tough situations and having open communication about how to keep the bakery healthy is part of our weekly department huddles.”
Two of Creative Cakes’ decorators have been with the company for over 10 years. Ashley Spitzer and Robbyn Yuen competed recently in Pillsbury’s National Cake Decorating Competition – winning 1st place in 2 of the 4 categories and 2nd place overall. While cake designs have certainly changed over the past 30 years, the bakery will continue to be at the forefront of new decorating trends and techniques and hopes to enjoy continued growth in the Chicagoland/Northwest Indiana areas for many years to come!
For more information, visit the Creative Cakes website at www.creativecakesbakery.com
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