On The Job With … Cake Eater Bakery

Punk-rock proprietresses have their cake and eat it too

By Dana Raidt
Published: May 1st, 2010 | 5:00pm

Sheela Namakkal and Emily Moore Harris may be punk rock at heart, but that doesn’t mean chaos rules at their Minneapolis-based shop, Cake Eater Bakery. This self-described “bad cop-bad cop” duo not only takes the craft of cupcake and coffee-making seriously—when it comes to running the bakery, they absolutely mean business. While many rocker-owned haunts depend on a steady workforce of jobless friends or fellow musicians needing cash flow until the next tour, Namakkal and Moore Harris have made it clear that quality and service come first.

“We don’t want to be typical bosses, but we also don’t people to feel like they can walk all over us because we’re young and have a punk rock attitude,” Moore Harris says. Adds Namakkal, “We want to give the craziest good service.”

The idea started with a dream—literally. One night Moore Harris had a vision of a coffee shop where Namakkal, who had been in search of retail space for her catering company, would sell her cupcakes. She immediately e-mailed Namakkal with the idea to start a business together.

“I was like, ‘Uh-huh. Yes. I like this idea,’” Namakkal says, laughing. The duo’s enthusiasm (they call it “awesome lady energy”) is palpable not only in person, but in their direct-trade coffee menu and brightly-colored baked goods, many of which are vegan or gluten-free. Even Cake Eater’s retail space, which opened in early April, is a neon sugar and caffeine lover’s paradise.

“We don’t want to deny who we are,” Moore Harris says. “We’re not shy of letting people know we’re punk rock, and that we’re young and fun.”

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Sheela Namakkal and Emily Moore Harris

The Job: Co-owners, Cake Eater Bakery

Education: Namakkal has a BA in Women’s Studies from the University of Minnesota and studied at Berklee College of Music. She’s also (believe it or not) a culinary school dropout. Moore Harris has studied nutrition and biology.

Résumé: Both are musicians—Namakkal played in the Goochers and the Divebomb Honey, and Moore Harris in White Jazz and Frilla—but they have also spent plenty of time in food services. Namakkal has worked in the industry since age 13 with a privately-owned catering business for the past two years; she has also worked in the mortgage industry, but “No matter what, I always end up in a kitchen,” she says. Moore Harris has worked in restaurants, coffee shops, co-ops and a high-end French inn—while rocking blue hair, of course.

Mission: Not just to offer great food and coffee, but to be responsible business owners and to support rather than compete with other local shops.

Why it works: Both women are workaholics, but they work to keep each other sane. “We’re Type A in totally different ways,” says Namakkal. “If it wasn’t for Emily and Jimena [Villalobos, a friend of the bakery], I would never eat or sleep. It’s good that I have people who will hit me on the head and say, ‘Hey Namakkal, have you peed in six hours?’” Moore Harris adds, laughing, “We’ve had a couple ‘shut-it-down’ moments.”

Advice: Cake Eater’s owners say their saving graces in the long, difficult process of opening the business have been their lawyer and their contractor, plus a support network of friends, family, and civic development programs. “Find someone to help you write your business plan. Don’t get a template off the Internet,” Moore Harris says. “You should know it takes a long time, and be okay with that.”

For more information on Cake Eater Bakery, click here

On The Job With … is a monthly column that explores interesting women with interesting jobs. We get the scoop on each lady’s working process, what makes her want to get up every day, and get advice for others looking to break into her field. The column is written by Dana Raidt who is a regular contributor for Venus Zine.