New in Town: Bake N’ Cakes South Lansing location

Bake N’ Cakes is aiming to produce fresh doughnuts with a bakery assembly line even Ransom E. Olds would be proud of.

Purchasing a doughnut sheeter cutter, the new Bake N’ Cakes location is arming itself to add doughnuts, paczkis and long johns to its delectable fare of baked goods at every Lansing store.

However, this isn’t the first time Bake N’ Cakes made doughnuts, Bake N’ Cakes general manager Jeff Johnson said.

“They died out from the cholesterol scare in the 1980s. I started making them every other day and then there were too many left over. It wasn’t worth it to have an inferior product.”

Facing a more doughnut friendly atmosphere in the millennial era, Johns wanted fresh doughnuts to make a comeback but needed a new space to make that happen.

“I came across an opportunity in an area of town I love and it was too good to pass up,” Johnson said.

Johnson grew up in South Lansing and said the area is ignored too often by business owners.

“Over the last many years, I’ve unfortunately seen south end businesses close down and go to what they think is a busier or better part of town and another town close by. There is a lot to offer in the south end of Lansing and a lot of people here,” Johnson said.

“Now they don't have to travel to a bakery and have fresh doughnuts in their backyard.”

Not all doughnuts are created equal, Johnson said.

“I don’t slam any competition, but a lot of stuff now is out of a box. I know a local doughnut shop where people think they make their product while it just comes frozen in a box and gets heated in an oven.”

Bake N’ Cakes doughnut fryer is reclaimed from a supermarket retailer that dropped their fresh doughnut production in 2003, Johnson said.

“Now we are going to have the freshest doughnuts in Lansing.”

Once the doughnut operation takes off, Bake and Cakes plans to produce ice cream in the same facility, Johnson said. “Cake and ice cream? It’s a no brainer for me,” he said.

Receiving a LEAP grant for facade work, the new location will be stylized like a ‘30s dessert shop, Johnson said.

“We replaced the awning and the sign is getting new lamps with an older embossed style,” he said. “We are trying to keep the character of the building.”

Bake N’ Cakes has come a long way in its 26 year history in the city, Johnson said.

“Food is fun and you never go hungry."

Bake N’ Cakes is looking for five staff members to join its operations.If interested, apply at info@bakencakes.com

Bake N’ Cakes

Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Opening mid-September 6030 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Lansing www.bakencakes.com (517) 337-2253