Home Cake Decorating Supply Co.
The Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. has been a popular fixture in North Seattle since it opened in 1960. Two sisters, Thelma Sowards and Irene Amundsen, opened the store after being frustrated by their inability to find the supplies they needed for their love of cake decorating. Thelma, who had studied cake decorating in Portland and had to make the 3-hour journey to Oregon to purchase her favorite supplies there, encouraged Irene to join her in opening a business offering classes and supplies here in Seattle. In 1962, they moved the shop from Pinehurst Avenue Northeast to its current location at 9514 Roosevelt Way NE, and gained a reputation for catering to everyone from homemakers to professional bakers, providing a large and varied selection of tools, decorations, frostings, and edible decor to enable their customers to produce cakes and candies ranging from simple to spectacular.
As their business grew over the years, Irene’s daughter, Greil Mooney, became a regular participant in managing the store. She began by helping package items bought in bulk to help keep the prices low, by creating numerous cake toppers and floral arrangements, and by continuing to learn more and more about all aspects of the shop. In May 1981, Thelma Sowards passed away, and Greil took on an active role in running the shop on her own three days a week, while her mother ran it the other three days that they were open. Irene earned the nickname “The Cake Shop Lady” and was greatly beloved and revered for her extensive knowledge of baking and decorating, and also for her generous spirit, exemplified by her frequent habit of giving customers items they admired but could not afford. Greil began to emulate her mother’s penchant for excellent service, and learned more each day about the ins and outs of dessert making and decorating.
Sadly, the Cake Shop Lady died of cancer on September 22, 1998, and Greil took over the business full time, with the help and support of her maternal Aunt Linda.
Greil carried on the strong traditions of her mother and Aunt Thelma, and had been the face of Home Cake Decorating since then. Greil provided invaluable help to her clients on all projects involving cakes, candies, and chocolate. She provided sound advice, smart shortcuts, and a steady guiding hand. Many of her customers also referred to her as “The Cake Lady” or “The Cake Shop Lady,” carrying on the tradition of this beloved family moniker.
In early 2018, after 58 years of operation of this successful family business, Greil decided to pass on the shop to a new owner, while, at the time, still keeping a hand in the daily operations of the store. Dave Hasle, a longtime customer of the shop and an avid cake baker and decorator in his own right, purchased the store from Greil and the two of them were working side by side to keep the spirit of Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. alive and well. Greil has since retired with the onslaught of the pandemic. It just wasn’t worth taking any chances with her health and she deserved to retire as well.
Dave ‘the CakeMan’ Hasle had been a customer of the shop for the past dozen or so years, purchasing countless cake ingredients and decorating supplies. He found that the combination of the store’s nostalgic ambiance and Greil’s generous personality provided him with exactly what he needed: an abundance of quality supplies and sound advice.
Dave worked in various restaurants back in the 1980s, and attended art school in his late 20’s. After a stint designing toys and action figures at Hasbro in Rhode Island (he even has a G.I. Joe named after him…check it out.), Dave moved west to Seattle in 1992 and settled here for good. Extending from his love of toy and game design, Dave spent 25 years working in the video gaming industry in the Seattle area, including stints at Microsoft, Monolith Productions, ArenaNet, Motiga, and Z2. In his free time, Dave always enjoyed cooking and baking, first acquiring the itch from his early years working in restaurants. Dave’s specific love for cake decorating began with making simple cakes for family birthdays over the years. More recently, Dave’s cake creations have grown increasingly elaborate, and as his alter ego “The CakeMan,” he enjoyed a lengthy stint baking and selling his creations to family, friends, colleagues, and clients. Many of his cakes can be viewed on Instagram @sugdad55 or a few below.
Dave has great passion for the Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. and is absolutely committed to maintaining the vision for the shop as established by Irene and Thelma, and kept alive by Greil over the past 56 years. “I hope to see this business continue to succeed in the coming years without losing that special touch, where service always matters and there is a strong relationship between the store and its customers.” Dave is also excited for the opportunity to work alongside Greil (who will continue working in the store for as long as she enjoys it), learning new tips and tricks from her every day while integrating his own additions along the way.
When the Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. first opened back in 1962, Thelma Sowards stated that “Cake decorating really is very easy to learn and requires no artistic ability. The very best cake decorators are not always the best technicians, but are people who use their imagination.”
To this day, the Home Cake Decorating Supply Co. continues to emphasize that “Yes, you can” attitude. No project is too big or too small for Home Cake…stop by soon to meet the CakeMan and plan your next sweet project!
