A national bakery chain joined the Cookeville business community Monday as Nothing Bundt Cakes began its grand opening celebration.
Local Owner Paul Teller said the business is family-owned and operates locations all across the country. Teller said the bakery is nationally known for great-tasting bundt cakes, as they are made fresh everyday but also because it is the only pastry they make.
“We focus on bundt cakes, Nothing Bundt Cakes, the pun there, because we have just figured out how to do bundt cakes better than anyone else on the planet, and we don’t want to mess up something that is pretty much perfected,” Teller said. “So that is why we stick with just bundt cakes.”
Teller said what really contributes to the great taste is that each bundt cake is baked and frosted fresh every day. While the brand has a national presence, Teller said the decision to open in Cookeville was deeply personal as his family has longstanding ties to the area.
“We spent a lot of time at Center Hill, and we have grown to love Cookeville and the people at Cookeville,” Teller said. “And about five and a half years ago, my wife and I were sitting on the boat down on the lake, and that’s when the dream started to come to Cookeville, because not only did we want to pour into the local community to provide jobs and great cake, we love Cookeville because it is apart of our family and that is why we chose Cookeville.”
Teller said he has owned multiple locations in Florida and Ohio, but ended up closing those locations to set roots in the Middle Tennessee area. Teller said he also sees a strong economy as Cookeville continues to grow in population. Teller said during its soft opening, the Cookeville location sold out.
“Whatever Cookville’s got going on, it’s working, because right now the indication is like, man, people are loving the cake and they’re willing to spend money on it,” Teller said. “Knowing that it’s handcrafted, baked every single day with people that some of them have grown up and spent their entire life in Cookeville, and now they’re baking with us.”
Teller said that as the grand opening happens at the Jackson Street location, his goal from then on is to become a lasting member of the community.
“I don’t want to ever leave,” Teller said. “I want to be a part of Cookeville and people’s celebrations, big and small, forever.”