Tammie Coe Cakes, a local pastry business, will close its temporary location on Central Avenue near Camelback Road by the end of December and focus on its locations on Roosevelt Street and at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Tammie Coe, the owner of Tammie Coe Cakes, said the decision to operate out of the Roosevelt location — which had its grand re-opening on Friday after undergoing summer renovations — came from the desire to focus on one location and build upon its established reputation in the downtown area.
“To me, it’s just smarter … for business to focus on one location right now, because we also have the airport (location) too. I think it’s a better way to manage it,” Coe said. “It’s just a better thing for us to have it all in one place. I love it over there; we think it’s the best thing.”
Customers who might be affected by the closing of the Central location will still have access to some Tammie Coe Cakes products, as some are sold at local farmers markets, AJ’s Fine Foods, Whole Foods Market and online. Beginning in January, however, all custom cake orders will be handled through the Roosevelt location.
Gary Shiffer, a frequent customer at Tammie Coe Cakes, said the Roosevelt location is convenient, especially for First Fridays. However, he said he was disappointed to hear of the Central location closing because it is closer to where he lives.
“I think for with all of the businesses and condos coming up (downtown), it’s a good business decision. Downtown is really coming up. But for people not really living down there it’s a long way just for a cupcake. For people that work downtown, it’s great because they can pick up something on their way home,” Shiffer said.
Andrea James, a manager at Tammie Coe Cakes, said the Central location was a transitional location that opened in late December 2012. Because the company opened its Sky Harbor store in spring 2013, the closing of its Central location will not be a hindrance to the company’s expansion.
“(The Central Avenue location) was like a soft place to land when we were working on the airport location. I think for a while we had to focus on the airport more and now we can focus on the Roosevelt location,” James said.
James added that other local bakeries around the Central location were not a factor in the decision to close the store because the location was mostly transitional.
The revamped Roosevelt location will feature Tammie Coe Cakes’ signature cakes and treats, along with an expanded coffee bar serving Intelligentsia Coffee. The urban feel of the downtown area makes it the best place for Tammie Coe Cakes to fully operate, Coe said.
“We’ve been open for about eight years now at that location; we just closed it for the summer. It’s just a great urban vibe … it’s great to be down in that energy,” Coe said.
James agreed, and noted that the recent development of condominiums and ASU being back in session after summer break will expose Tammie Coe Cakes to a new customer base.
