Two Tarts Call it Quits, Palace Cakes Sold

I heard rumors of this yesterday and was really surprised. Two Tarts Bakery bakery is calling it quits, and Palace Cakes has been sold. It will now be called Little Red’s Bakeshop.

In a 2008 review of Two Tarts I wrote, “I don’t want to love you, you wicked temptress! You are my Delilah, weakening me with your gooey chocolate chip cookies sprinkled with sea salt; cookies that called me back to the register even after I’d sat down with my drink. My femme fatale, how well your alluring treats weaken my resolve, they make love to my cappuccino – buttery, salty, crunchy – I must have one with every cup. You are a siren with your peanut butter delights drizzled with bittersweet chocolate, your cappuccino creams of cinnamon goodness, or your sassy pecan tassies. My diet has been dashed upon the rocks.” Yes, I had a thing for them.

Back in December 2014, Two Tarts closed their NW Retail store, and went back to their roots – Portland Farmers Market. But at the same time owner Elizabeth Beekley opened Palace Cakes, and continued to provide Portland with baked goods

Two different notes from Elizabeth today:

One morning, I work up… and discovered I was nearly 50!

I thought to myself, “How the heck did that happen?” After decades of acting and feeling like a teenager, I realized that I was getting old. I still have the spark, but my joints are beginning to make their presence known in a not-so-subtle way.

And so, it is with the sweetest of memories that we bid you adieu. As of February 27th, I am retiring from active baking, and taking Two Tarts with me. (My kids say they can’t wait to enjoy the smell of cookies baking at home.) Ten years of active, small-business ownership has brought with it immeasurable joys, but it has also included many years without a vacation.

You’ve got ten days to stock up on your favorite cookies! (and to use up those gift certificates) We’ll be at the Saturday PSU Farmers Market the 20th and 27th as usual. Come give us a hug, and tell us what brought you back to Two Tarts over and over again.

Thank you, Tartnation, for the incredible decade. We will miss you more than you can ever imagine.

With love,

Elizabeth

And Palace Cakes:

We often talk about change being bittersweet. As humans, we can be resistant to, and downright wary of change. But movement is a good and natural part of our existence! Whether breathing fresh air on a vacation, or seeing a new perspective from that overgrown hiking trail, our minds and bodies crave new experiences – just as much as they revel in what is comforting and familiar. It’s a bit of a Catch-22.

At Palace Cakes, change is afoot! This change, however, is nothing but sweet. (Both literally and figuratively.)

But let me get to the point. After nearly a decade of active small-business ownership and hands-on baking, I have sold my beautiful bakery to a talented young woman whose unbridled enthusiasm for baking rivals my very own.

Meet Jenni Welliver. Jenni is a cool pastry cat – a Midwesterner with a dedication to good, old-fashioned baking technique. She owns a company called Little Red’s Bakeshop, and has been searching for a retail location for the last year or so. You are going to love Jenni, and more importantly, you are going to adore what she bakes for you.

Our last day in operation as Palace Cakes will be Saturday, February 27th. (If you have a gift certificate hanging out, be sure to use it by that date!)

I cannot tell you how much we have enjoyed baking for you, your friends, your coworkers, and your families. Our appreciation is immeasurable. We will miss our daily interactions with our quirky, hilarious regulars, sweet canine visitors, and cake devotees.

A great thanks to each and every one of you.

I will miss my regular Two Tarts cookie. Best of luck to Elizabeth, and to new owner Jenni Welliver.