magpies bakery

What magpies bakery does

Magpies Bakery is a single-location, handcrafted dessert bakery based in North Knoxville, Tennessee, operating since 1992 from its storefront at 846 North Central Street. The company produces cakes (Classic, Yum City specialty flavors, Custom, and Wedding tiered cakes), cupcakes, and a sweets line spanning brownies and bars, cheesecakes, pies, and cookies, with rotating seasonal and holiday-specific varieties. Its product philosophy centers on an 'all butter, all the time' approach using locally sourced ingredients including Cruze Farm dairy, cage-free and hormone-free eggs, and pure cane sugar, with all production done from scratch and no preservatives.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer retail model through walk-in storefront sales (Tue–Fri 11am–5:30pm, Sat 10am–4pm) supplemented by online pickup ordering via a Square e-commerce site, plus dedicated inquiry workflows for custom celebration cakes and wedding cakes handled via Google Forms and dedicated email inboxes. Revenue mechanics are one-time purchases on a per-unit or per-serving basis (wedding sheet cakes start at $2.00/serving), with no subscription, wholesale, or contractual revenue streams disclosed. Customer segments are individual consumers (primary), wedding couples and planners, and event organizers/caterers ordering bulk desserts. Marketing is community- and social-driven across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, supported by an email newsletter.

Magpies was founded by 'Aunt Peg' in 1992 and transitioned to ownership by Elizabeth Smith in 2018; in 2025, the bakery was acquired by Real Good Kitchen, a Knoxville-based food business incubator founded by Bailey Foster, with an explicit mandate to preserve recipes and traditions while supporting growth. The underlying technology stack is intentionally low-tech and craft-focused, comprising standard baking production, Square e-commerce, Google Forms, and email — with no proprietary software, mobile app, or AI/ML capabilities. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, headcount, or revenue figures.

Name

magpies bakery

Legal name

Magpies Bakery

Website

https://magpiescakes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Magpies Bakery is a single-location, handcrafted dessert bakery in North Knoxville, Tennessee, founded in 1992, producing cakes, cupcakes, and sweets for individual consumers, wedding customers, and event organizers via retail storefront and Square e-commerce pickup orders, now owned by Real Good Kitchen following a 2025 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Bakery

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Cake Shops & Custom Celebration Cakes (THAFAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA), Cupcake Shops (THAFAGAG)

Keywords

• Custom cake baking
• Wedding cake design
• Specialty dessert retail
• Cupcake product sales
• Bakery confectionery products

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Dessert Sales: One-time purchase model for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pies, cheesecakes, and seasonal treats sold over-the-counter at the retail storefront. Customers can also order online via Square e-commerce for pickup.
2. Custom Wedding Cakes: Custom wedding cake orders placed via inquiry form or email, priced per serving ($2.00/serving starting for sheet cakes). Multi-tier cakes with flavors per tier, decorative finishes, and optional delivery services.
3. Custom Celebration Cakes: Custom cakes for birthdays and events ordered through a dedicated inquiry form, with signature design options and custom color selections available for additional fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Magpies Bakery produces and sells handcrafted cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pies, and cheesecakes through a retail storefront in North Knoxville and an online ordering platform. The bakery specializes in custom celebration cakes and tiered wedding cakes, with all products made from scratch using an "all butter, all the time" philosophy and locally sourced ingredients.

Product overview

Magpies Bakery is a dessert bakery offering three main product lines: cakes (Classic, Yum City, Custom, and Wedding), cupcakes, and sweets. The Classic Cakes and Yum City Cakes represent the core cake offerings with Yum City being the specialty/larger flavor variety line. Custom and Wedding cakes are specialized ordering options. The cupcakes line operates as a parallel signature product with numerous rotating flavors. Sweets encompass brownies/bars, cheesecakes, pies, and cookies as complementary items. All products emphasize the 'all butter, all the time' philosophy using high-quality ingredients including Cruze Farm dairy, cage-free eggs, and pure cane sugar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classic Cakes Traditional round layer cakes in standard flavors including Classic Vanilla, Chocolate Fudge, Strawberry Cream, Lemon Heaven, Red Velvet, Carrot Cake, and more, available for personal celebrations and events.
• Yum City Cakes Specialty flavored cakes with playful names and combinations including Cookies and Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Cookie Monster, Cosmic Brownie, Frosted Animal Cookie, and Reese's varieties.
• Custom Cakes Bespoke cakes designed in collaboration with customers for special events, with signature design options and custom color selections available for additional fees.
• Wedding Cakes Tiered wedding cakes available in multiple size configurations (45, 60, or 82 servings) with textured, smooth, or naked finishes, offered with popular seasonal flavors and delivery services.
• Cupcakes Signature cupcakes available in year-round, seasonal, and holiday-specific varieties including Classic Vanilla, Chocolate Fudge, Red Velvet, Carrot Cake, and limited edition flavors like Pink Champagne and King Cake.
• Brownies and Bars Assorted brownies and bar desserts including Plain Jane Brownies, Twix Brownies, Reese's Brownies, S'mores Brownies, Sugar Cookie Bars, and Cinnamon Roll Blondies, with minimum order of 1 dozen per flavor.
• Cheesecake Cheesecakes in 5-inch (2-4 servings) and 9-inch (10-14 servings) sizes, with year-round options including New York and Peanut Butter and seasonal varieties such as Chocolate Raspberry, Cookie Monster, Strawberry, Caramel Toffee, Pumpkin, and Peppermint Bark.
• Pies 9-inch pies available by special order with one week notice, with year-round options including Chocolate Cream, Coconut Cream, Pecan, and Key Lime and seasonal varieties such as Grasshopper, Strawberry Cream, Peach, and Winterberry.
• Cookies Assorted cookies including Lemon Thumbprint, Chocolate Cherry, Chocolate Chip, Sugar, M&M, Chocolate Chip Sammies, Lil Peggy's Oatmeal Cream Pies, and Sugar Sammies.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Real Good KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In 2025, Real Good Kitchen, Knoxville's food business incubator founded by Bailey Foster, acquired Magpies Bakery. Real Good Kitchen is committed to preserving the bakery's traditions and beloved desserts while supporting its growth, aligning with its mission to support food entrepreneurs and build a stronger local food community. Magpies continues operating from its North Central Street location.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nothing Bundt Cakes: A bakery chain centered on decorated Bundt cakes and celebration desserts. It is comparable to Magpies because both sell handcrafted, occasion-oriented cakes through retail locations, although Nothing Bundt Cakes operates at substantially greater scale.
• Magnolia Bakery: A bakery known for cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts. Its retail cake and cupcake assortment and celebration orientation closely overlap Magpies' core menu.
• Sprinkles Cupcakes: A cupcake-focused retail chain with online ordering and seasonal products. It is a direct product and category peer to Magpies' cupcake-led assortment, with a much broader store footprint.
• Carlo's Bakery: A custom cake and pastry bakery with a strong celebration and event focus. It is comparable to Magpies' wedding and custom cake offering, but operates as a larger established brand.
• Georgetown Cupcake: A retail cupcake bakery offering gourmet cupcakes and custom gifting. It directly overlaps Magpies' cupcake assortment and local retail model, while serving a different geography.
• The Cupcake Collection: A cupcake and dessert bakery serving walk-in and special-order customers. Its cake and cupcake mix and occasion focus make it a useful operating peer, although it serves a different city.
• Sweet Mandy B's: An independent bakery offering cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and other sweets. It is comparable to Magpies' broad dessert menu and custom or occasion orientation, but serves a different regional market.
• Charm City Cakes: A custom cake shop specializing in highly decorated cakes for celebrations. It is a strong product peer for Magpies' bespoke cake work, with a different geographic footprint.
• The Cake Bake Shop: A bakery and custom cake business focused on celebration cakes and desserts. Its product mix and custom-order model closely match Magpies' cake-led offering, though its footprint is different.

Broad incumbents

• Milk Bar: A dessert bakery brand known for cakes, cookies, and other sweets with a broad retail footprint. It overlaps Magpies' premium dessert category and custom-cake adjacency, but is broader and more scalable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/magpiescakes
• Instagraminstagram.com/magpiescakes
• TikToktiktok.com/discover/magpies-bakery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/magpies-cakes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about magpies bakery