There are a lot of perks to Kayte Sumowski’s job as a district leader overseeing four Nothing Bundt Cakes bakeries in the Tampa Bay area.
One of her favorites: the way her hair is sweetly perfumed like dessert when she comes home from work.
Despite being part of a nationwide chain, each Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery makes its cakes by hand on location, she said. Strict rules and training keep them all tasting the same, but it’s that care and trust that has kept Sumowski happy at her job for the past 10 years.
“My favorite part of working for Nothing Bundt Cakes is truly how much we’re able to celebrate with our guests every day,” she said. “Birthdays, baby showers, weddings — we want to be part of all of them.”
Celebration Cakes, a franchisee company that owns and operates dozens of Nothing Bundt Cakes locations in the Southeast, was named one of the Top Workplaces in the Tampa Bay Times’ 2026 survey. The Times partners with Energage, a software company, to survey workers around the region each year about their employers. Ten of Celebration Cakes’ locations are in the greater Tampa Bay area, with bakeries stretching from Sarasota to Brooksville.
Michael Murry, president of Celebration Cakes, joined the company in 2024 after working for years in the car wash business. But he said what attracted him was how the company’s success revolved around joy.
“That’s really what we do at the heart of Nothing Bundt Cakes and Celebration Cakes, is bringing people joy through cake,” Murry said. “It’s really a lot of fun to take a cake to someone you don’t know and make their day.”
Each bakery partners with local charitable causes or organizations, so the shop can hold special events to donate some of its proceeds, Murry said. Tampa Bay shops have partnered with the Moffitt Cancer Center, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay, and the foundation arm of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, for example.
“It is an expectation that all our bakeries are giving back to the community,” Murry said.
Those charitable events are something Leah Tomlin loves about her job as the general manager for the Nothing Bundt Cakes in Tampa Palms.
The store’s day begins when the bakers arrive in the early morning. Throughout each shift, Tomlin said, the workers get to help people celebrate life milestones — or serve those who bought themselves a treat on a rough day.
Her favorite customers, though, are expecting parents who’ve ordered a cake to reveal the sex of their baby. The cake will be decorated with a ribbon, which, when lifted up, reveals a rattle underneath that discloses if it’s a girl, a boy or twins.
Sometimes, even the mothers want to be surprised. So they’ll give the bakery a sealed envelope from their doctor containing the top-secret information from their ultrasound.
“They come in, and they’re so excited,” Tomlin said, adding that the shop makes notes on the ticket to ensure no workers accidentally say anything that could tip them off.
“It’s fun for the team, it’s fun for me,” she said. “We’re really in on the secret.”
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Celebration Cakes
Location: Palm Beach, Florida (headquarters)
Employees: 615
Website: www.nothingbundtcakes.com
Employee comments:“The environment is very positive, low stress, and I feel appreciated. The management is super helpful never judgmental making for a great work environment. All the employees seem to genuinely enjoy what they are doing, and it shows.”
“It’s been a dream of mine to be a baker and the environment I’m in makes me feel like I’m a part of the team.”
“I love to connect with our guests, seeing their smiles, and being part of their celebrations. I’m also an artist, so I really enjoy the creativity that goes into making everything look and feel special.”