Kansas City is getting its 11th Nothing Bundt Cakes, with a new storefront headed to 4169 Sterling Ave near Interstate 70, not far from Arrowhead Stadium. City permit filings point to the project, though the company has not announced an opening date.
According to the Kansas City Star, the dessert chain's newest bakery is planned for 4169 Sterling Ave. KCinsiders identifies the site as the Blue Ridge Crossing shopping center and reported that the bakery wanted to open in the Sterling Avenue space; the shopping center's landlord confirmed that report. The Blue Ridge Crossing directory lists Lowe's among its stores.
A Fast-Growing Cake Empire Plans a Metro Location
The planned Sterling Avenue bakery would add to the brand’s Kansas City-area presence. A storefront at 5307 N. Antioch Road is in Gladstone. The Kansas City Star reported that a Gladstone location opened in May. That Northland location is in Gladstone. Nothing Bundt Cakes also opened a bakery in Shawnee, Kansas, in spring 2023.
Nothing Bundt Cakes was started in 1997 in Las Vegas by Dena Tripp and Debbie Shwetz, and the chain now counts more than 840 locations and bills itself as the No. 1 specialty cake company in the country, according to its website. Shoppers can expect the brand's familiar lineup at the new location: 10 flavors plus rotating seasonal options, Bundtinis by the dozen, personal-size Bundtlets, and full-size bundt cakes, per Nothing Bundt Cakes’ website, as cited by the Star.
Private Equity Money Is Fueling the Expansion
Private Equity Money Is Fueling the Expansion
In March, private equity firm KKR was reportedly considering an offer for the Dallas-based chain, though a possible transaction remained unconfirmed, as Hoodline reported in its earlier coverage of the sale. Roark had bought Nothing Bundt Cakes in 2021, according to 1851 Franchise.
Why Franchisees Keep Signing Up
The company's real estate strategy also helps explain why these bakeries keep popping up in strip centers like Blue Ridge Crossing: Nothing Bundt Cakes intentionally targets retail footprints under 1,800 square feet, which average $1,066 in revenue per square foot compared to $645 for larger formats, according to Entrepreneur. The chain has recorded only one store closure nationwide over a four-year span, the outlet noted.
No opening date has been announced. KCinsiders reported that the franchisee could not be reached for comment. For now, Kansas City dessert fans eyeing the Blue Ridge Crossing corridor will have to watch for signage and city filings the same way the rest of the bakery's national rollout has been tracked.
