Gwendolyn Rogers’ Guide to Indy Eats

Photos by Savannah Calhoun

If you live in Indianapolis and you have not indulged in a piece of Cake Bake Shops cake, you better treat-yo-self. Owner of this iconic dessert shop, Gwendolyn Rogers sat down with PATTERN to tell us about her journey with Cake Bake, show us around her brand new location in Carmel, and talk about her favorite food scenes here in Indianapolis.

Gwendolyn Rogers first started Cake Bake back in 2014, opening the iconic mix between a fairytale dream and a French Château. This Broad Ripple bungalow took Rogers over two years to remodel and perfect to make for an incredibly unique in store experience. Rogers explains “I started the Broad Ripple location as a place to expand my own kitchen, it was an extension of my own house so I wanted to make it look like it was part of my house. I brought my own pillows, dishes, and silverware to make it feel like a home. I started with one other worker to start and it kept expanding. Little by little and day by day it started to become something great.”

Cake Bake has become a destination in Indianapolis for all kinds of celebrations and Rogers is happy to make such an impact on the guests through her work. Rogers explains “I want Cake Bake to be a place that people love and a fairy tale place everyone can enjoy. It is an experience and it brings me joy to see all of my hard work pay off when people get to experience the shop and come back.” The experience differs from other dessert restaurants because Cake Bake is “really beautiful, elegant, classy, glamorous, and the best place to eat is an environment this breathtaking. The quality of our ingredients and time we take creating our products adds to the experience too. Having delicious food, a friendly staff, superb locations, and a mesmerizing decor makes you feel like you’re not in Indy and you can step away from your life for a bit. That is an experience” Rogers says.

Although Rogers does not get the chance to eat out often because of her schedule with Cake Bake, this food expert tells us some of her favorite places to eat in Indy. 

Favorite Coffee Shop: Hubbard and Cravens

Photo from Pinterest

“I would have to say Hubbard and Cravens. There is one right in Carmel City Center.” says Gwendolyn.

Favorite Restaurant: St Elmo Steak House

“I love St. Elmo. I love the food there, the workers, and really the whole experience. The chefs are amazing and the food is always wonderful. I love the shrimp cocktail, it is a must have when you go there. The experience at St Elmo is classic and old school, and when people come to Indy it is the place to go. I love everything about St Elmo” says Gwendolyn.

Photo from The Fehribach Group

Go to Restaurant: Sushi Bar in Broad Ripple

Photo from Sushi Bar

“I am a big sushi fan so I love the Sushi Bar in Broad Ripple. The sushi is amazing and the location is perfect for a night in Broad Ripple. It is always a good experience all around” Gwendolyn explains.

We can’t forget about the most important question….

Favorite items on the menu: Cake Bake

“French fries are my absolute favorite thing on the menu. It is new because we have fries at the Carmel location which are amazing” Gwendolyn says. “My favorite cake is the Hummingbird Cake. It includes bananas, pecans and cream cheese. I could eat the whole thing!”

The Carmel location grand opening took place Monday July 1st and includes an expanded menu with meal items, custard, ice cream and much more. Rogers is excited to expand the menu over time and grow her empire here in Indy.

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