If you’ve meandered along the 400 block of S. White Street in Downtown Wake Forest, you’ve probably found your tastebuds working overtime while passing by. Since opening day on Thanksgiving, 2020, Mark Deskus and Jess Reilly have been baking delicious cakes, donuts, and other delectables at Plant Cakes Bake Shop, located at 410 S. White Street.
As residents of Wake Forest for over a decade, the business these two have built has become quite a staple in the area in a very short time. Plant Cakes Bake Shop is the first animal product-free bakery in the entire Triangle. Because of this, the bakeshop attracts visitors from across the region. “We frequently have people traveling from all over North Carolina to come to the shop,” Jess said. “It's such a blessing to be able to offer 100% plant-based desserts to such a large audience of people.”
Jess explained how the business originated. She said that Mark was baking a lot when the two met just over four years ago. They dabbled a bit more through various holidays but soon realized they had started a venture - far beyond simply gifting their treats to friends and family. From there, the business was born.
The vegan duo first started Plant Cakes as a home-based business three years prior to their brick-n-mortar grand opening. “We did a lot of doughnut pop-ups and deliveries,” Jess said. “We were blessed with a lot of support from local gyms and other small local businesses like The Lemon Tree, Run N Tri, Red Dog Crossfit, and Nutrishop - to name a few!”
Mark’s vision for a storefront came to life when Powerhouse Row was under construction. “We based our location on the central place we had our customer base,” Jess said. “Wake Forest downtown was the perfect choice. We have received a huge welcome from all the local business owners. The Chamber is super supportive, as is the Town of Wake Forest.”
Jason Cannon, President of Wake Forest Business and Industry Partnership, agrees that Plant Cakes Bake Shop is the perfect fit for the downtown area. “Surrounded by eclectic shops and local establishments, Plant Cakes adds to the unique nature and vibrancy of our downtown,” said Cannon. “They also create notoriety for our community as well as meaningful economic impact as the only vegan bakery in the region. Out-of-town visitors come to Wake Forest just to call on Plant Cakes, but then they stick around and patronize other area businesses. They are a perfect fit to complement the charm of our downtown.”
Not only are they 100% plant-based, but Plant Cakes Bake Shop ingredients are also all organic, non-GMO, and free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. They also cater to those with special dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free. “We struggled to find good, plant-based/vegan sweets so that was a huge motivation in opening a business based around that. We saw a market for it,” Jess explained. “The gluten-free side came in when we saw a need for that not only in the plant-based community but also in the general market. There aren’t a lot of options for people.”
Plant Cakes frequently collaborates with other regional plant-based businesses. You can catch vegan food trucks, like The Wicked Vegans and Stairway to Veggin, parked routinely near the bakeshop. They try to collaborate with a food truck at least once a month.
Plant Cakes has an option for pre-orders online, for local delivery, curbside, or in-store pickup. Baking for weddings and wholesale orders also play a prominent role in the business. Adding to the charm of Plant Cakes, Jess and Mark say their favorite thing about opening up the bakeshop is when they have kids come in. “Kids with dairy or egg allergies come and they see they can have EVERYTHING in the cases. It’s quite special,” Jess said.
For more information or to place an order online, visit Plant Cakes Bake Shop at plantcakesbakeshop.com; or, simply come grab a treat for yourself at the shop and tell them WFBIP sent you.
