FAIRLAWN, Ohio — A local bakery has had so much success, they’re moving to North Carolina just to meet demand.
LaKisha Williams is the co-owner of Baker Blvd and opened the shop, along with her husband, back in 2012.
She started her business baking out of her home and selling her tasty treats at a Summit Mall kiosk. She quickly outgrew that location.
“I had a small kiosk at Summit Mall and we couldn’t meet the demand there. So I looked for a small storefront. And this was owned by a friend of mine,” said Williams.
The current storefront is on Sand Run Parkway. But due to the overwhelming response from the community, and a close relationship with the LeBron James Family Foundation, Williams says she can’t continue business within these four walls anymore either.
“We partnered with the LeBron James Family Foundation and we released the first Just a kid from Akron Cherry Cola cupcake and the response was amazing,” she said.
“His return has impacted our business and the community in amazing ways.”
Last year, when LeBron announced his Akron homecoming after a stint with the Miami Heat, fans celebrated heavily in the street near his home. Being a friendly neighbor, James had cupcakes sent to his neighbors for having to deal with all the commotion. Those cupcakes were provided by Baker Blvd.
“We thought it was a simple gift, but it turned out to be a big, big deal,” Williams said, of that day.
“I want to say thank you to the foundation for choosing our sweet treats as a gift. And thanks to LeBron’s neighbors. LeBron’s neighbors have come out to support us.”
But with LeBron backing your business, there’s a good chance people across the nation will hear about it.
Williams said, “People have come from all over the country to taste our cupcakes.”
And that nationwide demand is the reason LaKisha and her husband, Jason, will be moving the business to Charlotte.
There they will work closely with a co-packer to help keep up with the high volume of orders they receive. The co-packer will also help with packaging and shipping.
In the beginning, sales will be done online-only. You place an order, and it’s shipped to you. They’ll also be able to easily handle business-to-business transactions.
Once they figure things out, there’s a chance that the Baker Blvd storefront will return. A number of customers visited the store Friday to express their disappointment with her leaving.
“I’m gonna miss them a lot,” said Bunny Lacey.
Lacey visited the bakery the first day it opened and she plans to be there Saturday for the final farewell celebration. That will happen 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Those storefronts could return some day.
“Once we learn how to keep up, we will definitely consider opening up storefronts, especially here in Ohio,” said Williams. Charlotte locations may also be an option for the husband and wife team.