When Chrissy Zemencik opened the doors to her new Olathe bakery on Saturday, she was met with both new and familiar faces.
For two hours, a steady line of customers went out the door. It was “overwhelming in the best way possible”, she said, to see so many of the people who have enjoyed her baking over the years joining her in a new chapter.
Cake Loft has come a long way, after all.
“Fresh out of high school” nearly seven years ago, Zemencik started the bakery based out of the kitchen in her Olathe home.
This past weekend, she officially opened Cake Loft’s new (and first) commercial space of her own — just in time for a busy season of Super Bowl- and Valentine’s Day-themed baked goods.
Cake Loft opened at 13778 S. Black Bob Rd.
- The bakery moved into a space just off 135th Street and Black Bob Road, near Mexican eatery Jose Pepper’s.
- Local bakery Sugar Rush previously occupied that space for eight years, before it closed in 2018.
- Cake Loft is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday.
Cake Loft offers cakes, cookies and other sweets
As the name suggests, Cake Loft primarily got its start with cake. Cupcakes, to be exact.
Over the years, Zemencik has added to her inventory with other items like iced cookies, French macarons, cheesecakes, oatmeal cream pies and cinnamon rolls.
Soon, Zemencik also plans to launch take-and-bake cinnamon rolls for customers to enjoy on their own at home.
In addition to baked goods, Cake Loft also offers flavored “dirty sodas” and hot cocoa bombs (flavored chocolate spheres that melt when dropped into a hot beverage).
By moving out of her home-based operation into a larger kitchen and storefront, Zemencik said she has had the freedom to keep adding new items to the bakery’s cases.
“Now people are also able to stop by and grab one or two cookies or cupcakes, which is huge,” she said. “When I was still home-based, I used to do 90% custom orders.”
Zemencik’s history as a baker goes back several years
From a young age, Zemencik said she spent a lot of time in the kitchen.
That interest continued to her time as a student at Olathe Northwest High School, where she honed her skills in the district’s culinary arts program.
Between operating her own bakery and working at other local restaurants (such as Kansas City area mainstay Minsky’s Pizza), Zemencik has spent nearly a decade in the food industry.
She initially started Cake Loft on a part-time basis, but it eventually took on a life of its own.
“Thankfully, (the bakery) continued to get popular and grow,” she said. “I’ve been super lucky. Kansas City is just very supportive of small businesses.”
Over the years, Zemencik has partnered with several local businesses and Olathe Public Schools for pop-ups and fundraising events.
Ultimately, she said forming relationships along the way has become one of the best parts of owning Cake Loft.
“I’ve built this up from scratch — no pun intended,” she said. “I think being able to make those connections is so important, and I think it has played a big role in the business’s success.”
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