When Juli Chapin began making wedding cakes 30 years ago, her biggest challenge was getting them to the buyer safely, while keeping the presentation.
So, her husband Scott, a longtime engineer, built a contraption to keep the cakes intact during transit. The structure consisted of cardboard disks for each layer of the cake, propped up by smaller dowels, all connected by a metal rod that ran through the entire cake. This structure was then surrounded by side panels to prevent dust, dirt, rain or hot weather from damaging the cake.
What started as a practical solution to an everyday problem has now become a thriving small business.
“The CakeSafe is pretty brilliant in the sense there is nothing else that guarantees the safe delivery of the cake."
The original CakeSafe product was built in 1989, but since Juli and Scott went full-time on the business in 2009, they have launched an array of complementary products and built a customer base all over the world.
“The CakeSafe is pretty brilliant in the sense there is nothing else that guarantees the safe delivery of the cake,” Chapin told Rhode Island Inno. “If you have ever delivered a cake or had a cake disaster, it is so important. The stress that you feel every time you put a cake in a vehicle to deliver is tremendous.”
The original CakeSafe now uses a greenhouse, double-walled plastic material that protects the cake from heat, and therefore melting, which is crucial for customers down south and in warm climates.
Other products that Scott has come up with, many of which have patents or are patent-pending, include the CakeSafe Shelves, the CupCakeSafe and full commercial spray booths.
The booths allow bakers to spray food color, olive oil or cocoa butter in a more contained manner, which is not only cleaner, but better for their health. The booths have even caught the attention of large players such as Wegmans, which has put one of the CakeSafe Commercial Spray Booths in each one of its 100 plus stores.
Another product Scott came up with is special acrylic disks, which allow bakers to scrape off extra frosting on the side of cake so it is perfectly aligned, allowing even amateur bakers to make the most professional looking cakes.
“They have gone gangbusters,” said Juli, adding that the acrylic disks probably make up about half of CakeSafe’s sales. “It’s the simple things.”
The company has come a long way over the past decade, hiring a dedicated staff and opening a warehouse in South Kingstown Rhode Island, where the manufacturing is done.
While the bulk of CakeSafe customers have been small bakers, which Juli refers to as the core of CakeSafe’s business, the company is also hoping to continue expanding to wholesale clients and larger grocers.
Juli said she also hopes to eventually make CakeSafe employee-owned and even start profit-sharing with her small team of six.
“We want to continue the growth and we want everyone to benefit,” she said. “It’s not just to make them have skin in the game; they already have skin in the game and we want to reward them for that. They have been amazing.”
Editor's Note: CakeSafe is a 2019 Rhode Island Inno 50 on Fire award winner. Read the full list here.
