‘I found toilet paper!’ SLO County bakery has hilarious response to coronavirus shortage
The biggest thing keeping Arroyo Grande Bakery rolling in a time of coronavirus is a bit unexpected.
It’s selling toilet paper — toilet paper cakes, to be exact.
The 64-year-old bakery in Arroyo Grande has been staying afloat in a difficult business climate at least in part because of its hilarious response to coronavirus-induced bathroom tissue shortages.
According to cake decorator Casey Davis, the bakery began selling cakes shaped like toilet paper rolls as a way to bring a little joy to people.
“It’s really an impulse item,” Davis told The Tribune in a phone interview Friday. “People come in for a danish or a pie or something and then they see it and they laugh and they have to have it. They say they’re gonna go home and say ‘Honey, I found toilet paper!”
That laughter has been a balm in a dark time for many people, said bakery owner Chris Lossing, who worked with Davis to create the sweetly funny treats.
“It puts a candle on their face,” she said. “It lights them up and puts a smile out there. ... I’ll be glad when this is all over, but you’ve got to make the best of it for now.”
As Arroyo Grande Bakery’s business has dried up somewhat — no weddings, graduation celebrations or birthday parties mean fewer large cakes, and fewer customers, Davis said — the toilet paper cakes have been rolling off the shelves.
The bakery has expanded from simple toilet paper roll cakes — $14.99 for a small one, $49.95 for the “megaroll” — to cupcakes, “quarantine cookie trays” and more elaborate cakes.
Davis’ favorite creation so far features a toilet paper roll and a large poop emoji wearing a medical mask. The bakery has also taken special requests from customers.
“People have gotten pretty, um, graphic,” Davis laughed, noting that some people ask for things like chocolate smeared on the paper to simulate ... well, you know.
And, to pardon the baking pun, the toilet paper treats selling like hot cakes.
Davis believes that Arroyo Grande Bakery sells between 25 and 30 of the cakes per day. They’re available a la carte at the bakery at 1231 E Grand Ave, No. 101, in Arroyo Grande, though Davis advised people to call ahead if they want a cake set aside for pickup.
“I think our toilet paper has been our saving grace,” Davis said. “Who would have thought six months ago we would be selling toilet paper cakes off the shelves?”
For more information, call 805-489-1141 or visit agbakery.com.
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 12:58 PM.
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