A Seattle microbakery is offering a so-called Cake ATM (or Cake-TM) in place of a traditional storefront. Butter Half Cakes is gaining attention, and customers, in the Ballard neighborhood. It operates out of her home’s front yard.
“Up until recently, Butter Half Cakes has been primarily focused on custom order cakes for birthdays, weddings, elopements and other celebrations,” owner Nicole Conley explained to MyNorthwest. “The Cake Coop was my order pickup station for these custom orders and I wanted to expand the use of the little space by providing items for pickup that didn’t require pre-ordering. The Microbakery aims to bring a little joy by offering cakes to folks who just want cake right now!”
How does the Cake ATM work?
Here’s how it works: Conley loads the Cake-ATM with freshly packaged cakes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Conley refers to it as a self-serve, smart fridge. You walk up, scan a QR code on a cell phone, look at the menu for what’s in stock, and when you purchase, the smart-fridge will unlock for you to snag your cake. The cakes usually sell out in two hours. The Cake ATM also offers cake by the slice.
It’s been so popular, Conley is already upgrading to a larger smart-fridge. Videos from customers have been popping up on social media, helping to fuel interest…