By Brian Hubert | Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y. (TNS)
Kingston, N.Y. — Deising’s Bakery presented a $15,000 check to the People’s Place on Monday, proceeds from selling “John Oliver Cake Bears.”
The bakery hasn’t ruled out a return of the cakes that have attracted the attention and patrons from across the U.S. and the globe.
Deising’s owner, Eric Deising, and his nephew Peter Deising, representing the third generation in the family business, presented the check to People’s Place Executive Director Christine Hein and the non-profit’s board outside the bakery on North Front Street in a ceremony attended by Kingston Mayor Steve Noble, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger and other officials.
Hein thanked Deising for choosing People’s Place. “You could have chosen any non-profit,” she said.
“You highlighted People’s Place not just with your financial donation which is phenomenal, but it is also bringing awareness about what People’s Place does for our community and gives a little national attention to what we’re doing.”
She said the bulk of the money will go toward helping People’s Place to pave its parking lot, which is used both by people using the non-profit services or volunteering there and the general public. “That’s important because we have a lot of folks who have some types of physical challenges come to People’s Place,” she said. “It’s important to have a well-maintained parking lot.”
Eric Deising said this showed the example of how a small business and non-profit can work together and create an “outstanding” amount of money.
“None of this could be done without the help of the citizens of our wonderful community,” he said. “This check (is from) Deising’s Bakery to People’s Place, but the reality is that money came from our community.”
Eric Deising also thanked John Oliver’s team and his own staff for the work they put into keeping the cakes on the shelves when customers snatched them up in droves.
Peter Deising said they saw a lot of new faces including a family that decided to take a trip to New York City with a side trip to Deising’s specifically to purchase the cakes. Eric Deising saidother new customers came from Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. metro areas just to buy the cupcakes.
“Our 15 minutes of fame might be coming to an end but at least it will have a lasting impact on our community,” he said. “We have a gem in our town by having a place like that where people who are having a hard time have a place to go.”
Peter Deising hasn’t ruled out the return of the cakes. He said with the busy graduation and Fourth of July seasons over, the bakery will have more time on its hands, opening the door for a potential second run of the cakes that flew off the shelves.
Metzger said Desing’s has put Ulster County on the map. She praised the family-owned bakery for giving the proceeds from the cakes to a charitable cause.
“They could’ve just done the challenge for the grill and the oven,” Metzger said, “but they put back into the community, and they made it all about investing in People’s Place and all about investing in our community. That is the kind of business we are so proud to have here. It’s amazing what you did for Ulster County.”
Noble added that Deising’s adds sweetness to the city.
“Whether it’s being an amazing employer and caring about the employees that work here or helping to serve our residents in need, your two organizations really have been such a critical part of our community,” Noble said.
It was great for Kingston to be “viral” in a good way, he added.
The saga began on June 2 on Oliver’s show “Last Week Tonight,” when the comedian bought kitchen equipment and furniture that once graced the now-closed Red Lobster restaurant on Miron Lane at auction. The following week, Oliver playfully mocked Deising’s Bakery for taping a sign to the door of the closed Red Lobster asking to purchase a 36-inch flat-top grill and convection oven. Little did Deising’s know that the items they sought were not among the contents of the eatery — or that Oliver had already purchased the entire inventory at an auction and had donated it.
But in looking at the bakery’s website, Oliver stumbled across, and apparently fell in love with, one of Deising’s creations — a bear cupcake, with, as Oliver put it, an unusually large posterior.
Declaring “I don’t like cake bears, I f—ing love cake bears,” Oliver said. He challenged Deising’s to make a cake with his face, promising that if they did, he would deliver the equipment the bakery sought.
The bakery immediately took on the challenge and the very next morning began churning out John Oliver bear cupcakes. They soon flew off the shelves.
Peter Deising has said the bakery sold 80 within the first hour of them being on sale and was selling over 100 an hour during the first couple of days. The bakery simply couldn’t make enough, he said.
The promised equipment was delivered to the North Front Street bakery on June 14, and after that, the eatery made the last of the treats — at least for now.
Eric Deising reflected on the week the cupcakes were on sale.
“We were tired, I’m not going to lie,” he said. “But they never complained.”
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