Creative Cakes
Creative Cakes is a family-owned specialty bakery in Tinley Park, Illinois, designing and producing custom wedding and occasion cakes for the Chicagoland market, with a secondary Naperville consultation studio and ancillary classes, retail, and corporate gifting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersTinley Park, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Creative Cakes does
Creative Cakes is a family-owned specialty bakery founded in 1989 in Tinley Park, Illinois, that designs and produces custom cakes primarily for weddings and milestone occasions, serving the greater Chicagoland market and northwest Indiana. The company is co-owned by sisters Becky Palermo and Beth Fahey, who acquired the business from founders Debbie and Demetrios Polimenakos in 2002; Beth Fahey also serves as President of the Retail Bakers of America. Operations center on a flagship production bakery at 16649 Oak Park Ave (Rubino's Plaza) and an appointment-only Design Studio opened in January 2018 at 55 S Main Street in downtown Naperville to consult with western-suburban wedding clients.
Core products are handcrafted custom cakes — party cakes, tiered cakes, and 2D/3D shaped cakes — built using sugar arts techniques including fondant work, hand-painted designs, hand-modeled figures, and Italian meringue buttercream made from scratch with clean-label ingredients. Supporting offerings include cupcakes, cheesecakes, seasonal pies, holiday gift baskets and cookie tins, corporate logo cookies, the proprietary Extreme Paczki line (introduced 2011), and a schedule of paid cake-decorating classes for adults and children. Custom cake orders are quote-based and range from $50 to $500+, with delivery fees of $30-$200 across the regional service area.
The revenue model is project-based (per-order) rather than subscription, combining walk-in retail at the Tinley Park storefront, e-commerce pre-orders via the bakesmart.com platform, in-person and remote wedding consultations (complimentary phone/Zoom; $50 in-person fee credited to order), corporate gifting, and ticket-based classes on Eventbrite. Go-to-market relies on WeddingWire and TheKnot listings, bridal expo participation in Chicago and Naperville, banquet-hall Preferred Vendor referrals in the southwest suburbs, and earned media including TV features and a 2015 ranking as the #2 Wedding Cake Bakery in America by The Daily Meal.
Creative Cakes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Creative Cakes
- Legal name
- Creative Cakes Bakery
- Website
- https://creativecakesbakery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Creative Cakes is a family-owned specialty bakery in Tinley Park, Illinois, designing and producing custom wedding and occasion cakes for the Chicagoland market, with a secondary Naperville consultation studio and ancillary classes, retail, and corporate gifting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Creative Cakes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Custom Cake Bakery
- NAICS
- Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Retail Bakeries (311811)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes (THAFAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dessert-First Bakeries (Cupcakes, Cookies, Brownies) (THAFAFAH), Dessert & Bakery Catering (Cakes, Pastries, Candy) (HSACAGAI)
Keywords
Where Creative Cakes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tinley Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Creative Cakes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Cake Orders: Primary revenue stream from highly customized cakes for weddings, birthdays, and special occasions; pricing varies based on design complexity, tier count, and decoration requirements; tiered cakes, shaped cakes, and party cakes available
- Walk-in Bakery Items: Daily fresh-made cakes, cupcakes, pastries, cookies, and donuts available for immediate purchase at Tinley Park location
- Wedding Cake Consultations and Tastings: Free cake tasting consultations for wedding clients; complimentary wedding cake samples available for pickup; in-person consultations available for $50 fee (credited to order)
- Corporate and Wholesale Orders: Corporate logo cookies, holiday gift baskets, and cookie tins for business customers; custom corporate orders require minimum one week advance notice
- Cake Decorating Classes: Various cake decorating classes for adults and children including Cocktails & Cupcakes, Unicorn Cake, Winter Wonderland Drip Cake, and Community Oven Days events
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Cake Orders - $50-$500+ range |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Delivery charges $30-$200 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Naperville Design Studio minimum order |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Wedding consultation fee |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Creative Cakes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creative Cakes is a family-owned specialty bakery that designs and produces custom cakes for weddings, birthdays, retirements, and other special events. The company operates a flagship retail bakery in Tinley Park and a Design Studio in Naperville for consultations and tastings, supporting walk-in purchases of fresh daily items, custom cake orders, cupcake sales, cheesecakes, pies, and holiday gift baskets across the greater Chicagoland area.
Product overview
Creative Cakes is a family-owned specialty bakery offering custom cakes and desserts primarily serving the Chicago metropolitan area. The core product is custom-designed cakes available as wedding cakes, party cakes, tiered cakes, and shaped cakes. Supporting products include cupcakes, cheesecakes, pies, paczki, and holiday gift baskets. The company operates a flagship bakery in Tinley Park and a Design Studio in Naperville for consultations. Services include wedding cake consultations with complimentary samples, cake decorating classes, and delivery across the Chicago area. The business specializes in elaborate sugar arts including fondant work, hand-painted designs, and hand-modeled figures.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Creative Cakes Design Studio: A design studio location in downtown Naperville for cake consultations and design appointments, where clients can taste samples and collaborate on custom cake designs. Cakes are made in Tinley Park and delivered to event locations.
Products and services
- Custom Cakes Handcrafted custom cakes for all occasions including birthday, wedding, retirement, and special events. Includes party cakes (single-tier), tiered cakes (multi-tier for celebrations), and shaped cakes (2-D and 3-D designs).
- Wedding Cakes Custom-designed wedding cakes with complimentary cake samples and Zoom or phone consultations. Available with delivery and venue setup across Chicagoland and northwest Indiana.
- Cupcakes Custom cupcakes available in various flavors with optional fillings, decorated to match event themes. Minimum one dozen per flavor combination.
- Cheesecake Line Fresh cheesecakes including Becky's Famous Cheesecake with flavors: Plain, Pumpkin, Turtle, Lemon Meringue, Chocolate Ganache, Strawberry Moscato, and White Chocolate Raspberry.
- Extreme Paczki
Quantifiable outcome
- 5-star ratings maintained across WeddingWire, TheKnot, Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Creative Cakes
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Creative Cakes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Creative Cakes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Chicagoland Banquet HallscoreCreative Cakes is on the Preferred Vendor Listing for a multitude of banquet halls in the Chicagoland area, making them a top bakery referral for wedding receptions in the southwest suburbs of Chicago
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Creative Cakes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sweet Lady Jane: LA-based bakery known for premium cakes, cupcakes, and tri-level berry cakes. Directly comparable in premium pricing, custom cake specialization, and California/event-driven celebration cake market.
- Magnolia Bakery: Iconic NYC bakery famous for cupcakes, custom cakes, and banana pudding with multiple retail locations. Comparable as a destination bakery brand with strong consumer recognition, custom cake offering, and cupcake product line.
- Charm City Cakes: Baltimore-based custom cake studio famous from Ace of Cakes, specializing in sculpted, themed, and event cakes. Directly comparable in artistic custom cake focus, TV-driven brand recognition, and event cake niche.
- Georgetown Cupcake: DC-based cupcake and custom cake bakery from DC Cupcake TV show. Comparable in TV-driven brand, custom cake and cupcake product mix, and destination bakery retail format.
- Sprinkles Cupcakes: National cupcake and custom cake bakery chain. Comparable in custom cupcake and cake focus, multi-location retail model, and brand-driven celebration cake positioning.
- Carlo's Bakery: Carlos Bakery of Cake Boss fame is a Hoboken, NJ-based specialty bakery renowned for custom celebration cakes, wedding cakes, and cannoli. Directly comparable in custom cake artistry, wedding cake focus, and TV/media-driven brand recognition.
- Nothing Bundt Cakes: National franchise bakery chain specializing in bundt cakes for celebrations and gifting. Comparable in celebration cake focus, franchised multi-location model, and B2B/event catering revenue stream.
- SusieCakes: California-based specialty bakery chain offering custom cakes, cupcakes, and classic American desserts. Comparable as a multi-location specialty bakery focused on custom celebration cakes with consistent brand experience.
Broad incumbents
- Whole Foods Market: National upscale grocer with in-store bakery offering custom cakes and cupcakes. Competes for celebration cake budgets at the mass-premium tier, providing a price-pressured alternative to specialty bakeries like Creative Cakes.
Emerging players
- Milk Bar: Christina Tosi-founded modern bakery known for innovative cakes and nationwide shipping. Comparable as a contemporary specialty cake brand with DTC shipping capability, though product mix leans more toward unconventional flavors than traditional wedding cakes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Creative Cakes social profiles
Digital presenceCreative Cakes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Creative Cakes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Creative Cakes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Creative Cakes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Creative Cakes
What does Creative Cakes do?
Creative Cakes is a family-owned specialty bakery that designs and produces custom cakes for weddings, birthdays, retirements, and other special events. The company operates a flagship retail bakery in Tinley Park and a Design Studio in Naperville for consultations and tastings, supporting walk-in purchases of fresh daily items, custom cake orders, cupcake sales, cheesecakes, pies, and holiday gift baskets across the greater Chicagoland area.
Is Creative Cakes a public or private company?
Creative Cakes is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Creative Cakes founded?
Creative Cakes was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Creative Cakes based?
Creative Cakes is headquartered in Tinley Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Creative Cakes make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Custom Cake Orders are the primary driver. The others are walk-in Bakery Items, wedding Cake Consultations and Tastings, corporate and Wholesale Orders and cake Decorating Classes.
Who are Creative Cakes's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sweet Lady Jane, Magnolia Bakery, Charm City Cakes, Georgetown Cupcake, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Carlo's Bakery, Nothing Bundt Cakes and SusieCakes. Whole Foods Market is listed as a broad incumbent. Milk Bar is listed as an emerging player.
Does Creative Cakes have an API?
No public API is recorded for Creative Cakes.
What industry is Creative Cakes in?
Creative Cakes's product category is Specialty Custom Cake Bakery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAFAC, Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes, with a secondary code of THAFAFAH, Dessert-First Bakeries (Cupcakes, Cookies, Brownies). Its NAICS code is 445291 and its SIC code is 2050.