Nothing Bundt Cakes Opening Toms River Bakery

TOMS RIVER, NJ — All it took was a couple of bites of cake at a Fourth of July party for Ava and Terri Hesse to decide on their next pursuit: bundt cakes.

"It's honestly some of the best cake I've ever had," Ava Hesse said Thursday as final preparations were made for Nothing Bundt Cakes to open Friday in the Hooper Commons center, where Michaels and DSW anchor the shopping.

Ava Hesse and her mother, Terri Hesse, are no strangers to business. Terri Hesse is the owner of AC Hesse, the landscape supply company. In addition, Ava and Terri owned a Hand and Stone Massage and Spa franchise in Ocean Township.

They were in the process of selling their Hand and Stone spa when they tasted the Nothing Bundt Cakes at the party, Ava Hesse said.

"We're big foodies," she said, and when they tried the bundt cakes at a party, "We're like this is amazing." They researched franchise opportunities and found there was one in Toms River, and jumped on it.

"This came up right about the same time," Ava Hesse said.

They had hoped to open in December, but supply chain delays affected their opening as they have so many others.

The bakery is ready now, however. It has a boutique in the front of the store where the cakes are sold. They include bundtinis, which are cupcake-sized, bundtlettes, 8-inch and 10-inch bundt cakes. They offer specialty bundt cakes, including two-tiered options for weddings or other special occasions.

In addition there are different cake flavors and different topping options, from drip frosting to extra frosting. Some are available year-round, while others are rotated and timed to the seasons. In the spring, the special flavor is strawberries and cream.

"You have to do what you love," Ava Hesse said.

The store opens at 10 a.m. Friday for a soft opening; a grand opening will be scheduled later.

Note: This article has been updated to correct the town of the Hand and Stone Massage and Spa the Hesses had owned and sold. Patch regrets the error.

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