Home Cake Decorating Supply Co Roosevelt Way Northeast Seattle Wa

Home Cake Decorating Supply Co.

The Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. has been a popular fixture in North Seattle since it opened in1962. Two sisters,Thelma Sowards and Irene Amundsen, opened the store after being frustrated by their inability to find the supplies they needed for their love of cake decorating.Thelma, who had studied cake decorating in Portland and had to make the 3-hour journey to Oregon to purchase her favorite supplies there, encouragedIrene to join her in opening a business offering classes and supplies here inSeattle. In1964, they moved the shop from Pinehurst Avenue Northeast to its current location at 9514 Roosevelt Way NE , and gained a reputation for catering to everyone from homemakers to professional bakers, providing a large and varied selection of tools, decorations, frostings, and edible decor to enable their customers to produce cakes and candies ranging from simple to spectacular.

As their business grew over the years, Irene's daughter,GreilMooney, became a regular participant in managing the store. She began by helping package items bought in bulk to help keep the prices low, by creating numerous cake toppers and floral arrangements, and by continuing to learn more and more about all aspects of the shop. InMay 1981,ThelmaSowards passed away, andGreil took on an active role in running the shop on her own three days a week, while her mother ran it the other three days that they were open. Irene earned the nickname "The Cake Shop Lady" and was greatly beloved and revered for her extensive knowledge of baking and decorating, and also for her generous spirit, exemplified by her frequent habit of giving customers items they admired but could not afford.Greil began to emulate her mother's penchant for excellent service, and learned more each day about the ins and outs of dessert making and decorating.

Sadly, the Cake Shop Lady died of cancer on September 22, 1998, andGreil took over the business full time, with the help and support of her maternal Aunt Linda.

Greil has carried on the strong traditions of her mother andAunt Thelma, and has been the face ofHome Cake Decorating since then.Greil has provided invaluable help to her clients on all projects involving cakes, candies, and chocolate. She provides sound advice, smart shortcuts, and a steady guiding hand. Many of her customers also now refer to her as "The Cake Lady" or "The Cake Shop Lady," carrying on the tradition of this beloved family moniker.

In early2018, after 58 years of operation of this successful family business, Greil decided to pass on the shop to a new owner, while still keeping a hand in the daily operations of the store.Dave Hasle, a longtime customer of the shop and an avid cake baker and decorator in his own right, purchased the store fromGreil and the two of them were working side by side to keep the spirit of Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. alive and well. Greil has since retired with the onslaught of the pandemic. It just wasn't worth taking any chances with her health and she deserved to retire as well.