Okay....here's a new one for cake shop owners and legal at home shops. I got a call from a customer and she started in by saying her daughter was going to be 5 years old...she's very into art and loves anything that has to do with cooking, decorating, drawing, etc. Sooo, she said she thought it would be really cool for her soon to be 5 year old to come and help me decorate her birthday cake. First off...I told her...I can't do that legally with my shop and the rules of the Health Dept...no one can be back in the kitchen area where the cakes are being baked or decorated other than myself. She proceeds like it went right over her head....and says how well behaved her daughter is...she won't be a problem and she's really wanting to do this. I said...she CAN'T. I have other cake orders that same day...other customers cakes will be back in the kitchen and it's against the health codes for her to be back in the working area. Right over her head again....and she starts in....my daughter is going to be disappointed now and you will ruin her whole birthday. I was like...give me a break lady!!! I asked her if she had already told her daughter she was going to get to decorate her own cake...and she said yes. I said....did you call Wal-Mart and ask if she could come back in the bakery and help decorate her cake....she said they wouldn't let her....and I said...EXACTLY....it's against the health codes....so she can't come back in my shop and help decorate her cake. Then she says....."well, could she maybe come back and watch you decorate her cake like the last 15 minutes of you working on it???" I came THIS CLOSE to asking her if she was a blond???? LOL...but bit my tongue and I said....sorry she can't come back in my shop. I can't even let my own niece's or nephew's be back there when I am working on cakes. I told her all I needed was for a health inspector to walk in while she was back there....and I could be fined or shut down....and no other bakery in our town will allow that either. On top....all I needed then was her to go telling all her other friends that her daughter got to decorate her cake at my shop and I'd have to deal with other mom's and then the health dept. find out.....so she hung up saying I would be the one who had disappointed her little girl. I thought....won't be the last time she'll be disappointed in her life.

I think she thought since my cake shop is attached to my home that I wasn't the same as a regular bakery....and I explained to her that I was a legit bakery and set up with the health dept. and state of Missouri. I don't know how your health dept. is in your area where you live....but this is not allowed here in Missouri. I just thought I'd share....and vent a little at the same time....and maybe spread a smile and chuckle with you all.

For my birthday next year, I want to watch you decorate a cake too! Seriously......

I see your dilema! My shop is starting to do birthday parties now where the kids get to decorate a cupcake or mini cake -- they do it in the cafe part of the store though -- not back in the kitchen! I understand that having a home bakery would not allow you to do this but it seems to be catching on in my shop. The Michael's store stopped doing birthday parties in our town so we thought we would see how this goes.

I can see doing it out in another area.....kind of like a local pizza place will let pre-school kids come in and decorate their own little pizza....but it's out where customer's sit....not back in the kitchen area. That's what I tried to get her to understand....but she was wanting her to be back in the actual bake shop area....so she could say she was working with the decorator.....so...NO WAY!

I agree -- no way! It can be dangerous back in the kitchen and noone needs to deal with that liability let alone the health board problems. It is funny how people just don't get it when we ay no.

When I had my shop in Houston, My decorating area had a viewing window with soda shop stool infront of it. Kids and parents alike could watch while I decorated. We also did birthday parties and brownie troop tours where they were allowed to decorate a cookie or cupcake out in the cafe area, but NEVER in the kitchen area. I will have the same set up in my new shop once it opens here on Canyon Lake. But currently I use my church's beautiful commercial kitchen and my spare room at home as my office & consultation gallery.

Some people just don't get it do they! Sorry you had to deal with such a looney toon!

LOL... I used to brag that I had the only 2yo who knew how to wash her hands for 20 seconds and wear a hat and gloves in the kitchen at all times... She's now 3.75 and she STILL insists on all of the above anytime she is going to help me in the kitchen, and now that's simply AT HOME... .

Here the main rule is not about age it's meeting the hat/gloves/handwashing/etc. instead...

For the future you might recommend to them that you'd be happy to sell her the icing, cake, and boards separate for them to simply put together so that her daughter can learn how to decorate... OTOH, JoAnn's openly advertises doing kid's craft parties in their stores, maybe she could do a cake deco theme... OR... better yet, you bring the mess to HER house at the rate of $60/hr w/ a 4-hour minimum for prep ... You know, sometimes when the dollar signs are in real money some people back off, if not, you're properly compensated for your time thus it's not that bad (and yes, insist upon the hat/gloves/surface cleaning/hand washing/etc. because if the kid is going to take away anything from the experience it should be proper kitchen cleanliness)...

Some people just don't understand how much of a microscope we're under in the food industry. These are usually the same people who think we can pull a cake out of our kiester on a moment's notice.

Sounds like the Mom promised the kid a cake deco party in a real kitchen before she found out that the state says "no go"... Like you said, isn't the first time in life the kid is going to get disappointed, OTOH, it's doing a disservice to the kid to not teach her how to handle disappointment...

What is the matter with people who promise things before they even make sure it can be done!!??

And it irritates me that she's gonna make YOU the bad guy-when SHE is to blame!! It's like when my neice was naughty, my SIL would threaten her that the police were going to come and get her. whatever.

I guess I don't see why if her daughter wants to decorate the cake, they don't just bake and decorate one at home???

These are the same people that think it's ok to call us for an order at 10:45 pm because we work from home.

I about beheaded a customer last night over this. She wanted to discuss flavors, tiers and such and when I asked her if she was aware of the time and my business hours she paused and said "well you DID answer the phone!"

My reply back was "yes because my father very ill and preparing to go into the hospital for surgery and I was afraid it might have been him on his way to the ER and I would need to meet him because I have never had anyone call my cell phone this late to discuss an order."

Her reply was "well it's not my fault you use your cell phone for personal business. I knew your kids would be asleep and you could talk freely this time of night."

Sorry... I thread hijacked.

She's 5 years old she'll want a Barbie party in the next 5 minutes, and in 15 minutes from now she'll want something different.

Buy the little precious an easy bake oven and tell her to come back in 10 years when you can hire her on as an apprentice.

There is a local bakery here called The Makery.. and they do parties.. girls can come in a decorate their own.. they dont do the baking however... i've been asked to do that kind of party, customer wanted me to come to her for 5 little girls.. also there is a new girl scout badge for cake decoratiing... same concept.. the cakes are baked and usually have the basic bc icing on it already.. then they have bags/tips/fondant already prepared.. its a lot of fun..

Youâre so mean Cakeryâ¦now YOU ruined this little girlâs birthday and most likely her entire life.
How is she going to handle these emotional scars???
How can you sleep at night?

Ohhhh pleeeeaseeeâ¦youâve should have told this lady to get a life.

She should just take her child to Michaels and sign her up for a Wilton class. duh!

Not to totally get off of the subject.....but......what is wrong with parents today?????!!!!!!! Since when is our job, as parents, to give in to every want that a child comes up with....no matter how impossible. I would like to give that mom a little insight as to what happens when kids grow up never hearing the word "no". I agree with you.....if this is the only and worst disappointment she faces in her life, god bless her! This mother is the prime example of why kids/teenagers today have such a huge sense on entitlement! You go on sticking to your ground!

Did she order a cake at least??? ha!

Actually....my BOSS IS A REAL *&$#@!! You should see the dirty looks she gives me at times when I pass the mirror.....so she's the mean one! ROFLOL[/quote]



this cracked me up! HAHAHA! I predict this kid will turn out to be as big of a PITA as her mom, going through life thinking everything in life should be handed to her.

In fact....the 3 employees that work for her (ME, MYSELF AND I) have threatened to go on strike....many a time. So yes...she can be a big B at times....LOL!

Isn't it fun that we can laugh at ourselves though.....and have a forum like this to share stuff.....many of our family can't relate at all to our "BATTERED MINDS"!!!!!!!

Dontcha love it when somebody comes up with some wise guy idea and then its YOUR fault when it doesn't work out? LOL

In PA the rules are not as stringent...probably though what I would have offered (if I were you and you had time) is a cake decorating "class" where you provide a simple cake and let the girl help you decorate it. So it would not be an "order" but a "cake class" and it would be something in your home (if laws allow....my state has no problem with it). I recently gave a private 3 hour lesson (paid) to a girl for her birthday (actually I had her bring her own 8" cake and I just made the icing) and she was delighted and it was a pleasant evening.

However that is totally up to you to decide...NOT the mother to TELL you you MUST have a class.

Your so patient, I would have probably hung up on her.lol I was a receptionist at a dr's office and had the patience of the world, but now as a stay home mom, I've lost it.

This reminds me of when I worked at Gymboree. A woman came in wanting a white faux fur vest and we didn't have it in her granddaughter's size. She proceeded to rant that we had RUINED her granddaughter's Christmas and that we would have to sleep at night knowing what we had done.

Let me tell you, I didn't lose any sleep.

Kitagrl....I just saw that this a.m. on Fox, and they have it head on. That's exactly what it's like. We have three teenage sons so we've been embedded in it (not with our own kids though) for many years now. And, in my opinion, girls are worse than boys. I'm even seeing this in my daughters' kindergarten class. As a matter of fact, we were just having a discussion last night about how different little girls behave and treat each other vs. how little boys do things. They can be downright mean, and we never had to deal with this kind of stuff with the boys. I wouldn't trade my girl for all the money in the world though!!! I waited long enough for her, and had four boys first!!!