In January of 2011, Lee Koelbl and his wife Debbie went to a friend’s wedding in Sparks, Nevada. They didn’t know it at the time, but that wedding would forever change their lives…
For it was at this celebratory event that the Koelbls became acquainted with Nothing Bundt Cakes.
“We had never heard of Nothing Bundt Cakes,” said Debbie in an interview with The Beat. “They had a small wedding, and they had a wedding cake from the store, along with these Bundtlets. They called each table up to pick up their Bundtlet…”
Bundtlets are individual-sized versions of bundt cakes. And when Debbie had her first bite of one, she flat-out loved the taste.
Two months after that wedding, Debbie and Lee signed a franchise agreement to open up their own Nothing Bundt Cakes in San Jose. And now, about a decade later, they have opened their second location in Milpitas at 597 E. Calaveras Blvd. The new Milpitas location opened on October 21; and the official Grand Opening will be held on November 11.
Over the years, the popularity of Nothing Bundt Cakes has only skyrocketed.
“When we opened in 2011, we were store number 40,” said Lee. “This Milpitas store is number 483.”
Founded back in 1997 by two women in Las Vegas, Nothing Bundt Cakes offers unique, handcrafted treats across several hundred bakeries in the U.S. and Canada.
“We have a very high-quality product,” said Lee.
The bakery sells Bundtinis, bite-sized versions of bundt cakes, which Debbie says are really popular. They sell by the dozen. There are also Bundtlets, which are individual servings; and of course regular-sized bundt cakes, which they can prepare for any kind of celebration or occasion. Customers can select either 8”, 10”, or tiered bundt cakes.
There are 10 different flavors. Nine of them are standard flavors, and then there’s also a flavor of the month, which always changes.
“What people might not realize is that everything is done on site,” said Debbie. “It’s not packaged. We’re doing everything by hand.”
Both Debbie and Lee run the business together, with Lee focused more on the financial aspects, and Debbie on the marketing end. Day-to-day operations are handled by their management team. They already have a management team in place for their Milpitas location, and are still looking to hire more people.
“When you’re in the food industry, you have almost this kind of adrenaline. It’s fast-paced, and there’s always something happening,” Debbie shared.
As the Koelbls prepare for the Grand Opening, they look forward to becoming more embedded in the Milpitas community.
“We really stress guest service, and we become part of the community,” said Lee. “We donate to schools and churches. We sponsor events. It’s that community building. It’s about a good product, good service, and supporting the community.”
Don’t miss the bakery’s Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting on November 11. On that day, 20% of sales will go to Hope for the Unhoused.
