Beloved Cape Coral bakery facing bittersweet changes

It’s a bittersweet time for Bess Charles.

Ten years after opening LadyCakes Bakery on Del Prado Boulevard in Cape Coral, she’ll close that location for good after business Saturday, June  22.

“I had no intentions of going anywhere,” Charles said, adding issues with the landlord prompted the move. “But this is our last week. It all sprung up so quickly.”

She opened her cozy, 936-square-foot lavender-walled retail space in American Plaza, just south of Veterans Parkway, in September 2014. It didn’t take long for customers to fall in love with her custom cakes, creative cupcakes and crafty cookies.

“We’ve had so many loyal customers over the years,” Charles said, who baked cakes as a hobby and started LadyCakes out of her home in 2006.

So many customers and orders, in fact, that LadyCakes expanded three times.

“We just kept taking over more space,” Charles said.

Now for some good news …

Luckily, all those loyal customers won’t have to be without LadyCakes for long.

Charles is moving her business to a new location in southeast Cape Coral.

“It used to be an insurance office,” Charles said. “It’s a complete buildout for us, which is great because we’re building it for our needs.”

That new bakery, at 447 Cape Coral Parkway E., will have a different feel than the original one.

Gearhead Tattoo owner and artist Kelly Rogers will do the artwork.

“It will be more of a foodie, urban vibe,” said Charles as she sang the praises of the South Cape dining scene. “That area has become quite the foodie place. Our new space will match it. What I have designed in my head looks really cool.”

Sweet menu changes

There will be a few subtle menu changes too.

“We’ll add new, fun things with it,” she said. “New cupcake flavors, have different cakes available. We’re hoping to include fresh bread. And there will be extended hours.”

But don’t worry — all the popular staples will be returning too.

And oh, does she have some good flavors — from Raspberry Dream and Death by Chocolate to salted caramel pretzel and maple bacon.

How long will it be before we taste all these wonderful creations again?

After taking an annual vacation with her family — a cruise to celebrate her son’s high school graduation, Charles will be back to work preparing the space.

“Whatever could go wrong did go wrong,” she said, citing permit and construction delays.  

Let’s hope it’s not as nerve-wracking as when Bess and her husband Jeff first opened LadyCakes.

“We had both quit our full-time jobs to go all in on it,” she recalled. "Being jobless was terrifying. It was hard to jump all in. But what a payoff it’s been.”

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In the best-case scenario, Charles estimates opening “at the end of July.”

“Don’t forget about us in the meantime,” she said.

We’ll be counting down the days.

Can't wait? Charles and company will be working remotely throughout the transition, creating orders they already have and taking new ones. Phones and emails (ladycakesinc@yahoo.com) will be answered.

LadyCakes Bakery, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Saturday, June 22, at 2924 Del Prado Blvd. S, No. 7, Cape Coral; (239) 549-2253; iloveladycakes.com. The new address will be 447 Cape Coral Parkway E. in Cape Coral; follow on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@gannett.com