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Let them eat Kake By Sean Wolfe Ashland Daily Tidings Anticipating that comfort food always finds demand - even in troubled economic times - an Iowa family recently unveiled the Siskiyou Boulevard storefront for its new business, dubbed Yummykake. The concept is simple: 25 flavors of cake, available in sizes ranging from a single serving to sheet cakes large enough to satisfy the sweet teeth of a large wedding party. The founders, Larry and Lisa Oswald, started the first version of this business in Fairfield, Iowa - a town of 9,500 people. At the time, it was called Yummy's Bakery, and it was there that the concept of the Yummykake first came out of the oven. "At the bakery in Iowa, we had hundred-plus products. Now, we do just one, and it's cake. Cake is all we do," noted Larry Oswald. "It's a novelty, and we're the only one in the country doing a mini-cake. We take our regular cake, put it in a dome container, ice it with whipped cream on top, and anybody can walk in at any time, and have 25 flavors of gourmet cake to take home," Oswald said. The Oswalds first opened a production facility on Hersey Street last October. But that location was too secluded to get foot-traffic to the bakery. "Strange as it may sound, you can run into people who've lived here for 30 years, and they'll ask you where Hersey Street is," Oswald said. "So the location was a stumbling block. Here we'll have better visibility, and we'll take advantage of it." At present, Oswald estimates that he'll managed to snare 20 percent of his business from passersby. The rest of his market will be split between weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. Currently, the Oswalds have managed to get distribution throughout the valley, including the Medford-based Quality Market, as well as the Jacksonville Market. But in health-conscious Ashland, could the Yummykake concept catch on? Oswald said he's optimistic. "When 9/11 hit, the stock in Krispy Kreme (a donut franchise) went through the ceiling. People went back to comfort foods. Of course, our cakes don't compare with a donut, but a lot of people - when things get stressful - they want something sweet. "They think 'a little chocolate, and I'll be okay.' And it works. People get happy," Oswald said. Oswald also pointed out that the smaller cakes are popular with people who don't want to be saddled down with a full-size dessert. And he said he gets comments from people who like the Yummykake approach to ingredients. "When you have real cream, real vanilla, and other good ingredients, people are reminded of what it was like before Cool Whip. They say, that's it. It's all in the taste," Oswald said. If the bakery takes off, Oswald said he wants to make it into a modest franchise. He has his eye on expanding into Medford, and get distribution through other bakeries. "It would be nice to go to a mom and pop bakery, and say 'How would you like to get 25 flavors of cake?' "If we take Ashland and Medford, the reputation will grow, and someone will want to buy it. That's what I envision. Right now, it's a means to pay bills and be happy. But I think it's a novel concept. What Baskin & Robbins did for ice cream, Yummykake can do for cake," Larry Oswald said. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -