NORTHEAST TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Tallahassee bakery is experiencing a massive surge in business after actor Ryan Gosling praised its homemade pop-tarts on "Late Night with Seth Meyers."
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The Cake Shop Bakery is now getting requests to ship the pastries across the country.
Owner Linda Richards said the connection to the late-night show comes through her sister, Donna, who dresses Seth Meyers and the hosts of "Saturday Night Live."
“I have been shipping baked goods for many, many years, and Donna will let me know when filming is happening, what people want," Richards said. “I've been doing it a very long time it's just no one knew it, so I guess the cat's out of the bag, right?”
The sudden viral fame has led to the shop selling out of the pop-tarts quickly.
"A lot of people didn't even know I had them in the store, but then, when he said it, the phones lit up, and people are coming in," Richards said.
Richards says the volume of requests has been overwhelming, but she’s grateful for Gosling’s shout-out.
“People are asking for hundreds at a time or thousands and, and I understand that, but it's just impossible to do that quickly," she said.
Director of the Office of Economic Vitality Keith Bowers said the buzz impacts more than just the bakery.
Data estimates that each visitor drawn to the area can generate at least $300 for the local economy.
"People will want to visit Tallahassee to sample the product firsthand, so that leads to just a ripple effect in our economy because as people come in, they might have dinner or might have lunch," Bowers said.
He says this isn’t the first time Tallahassee businesses have been featured on a national scale.
“I think some of our restaurants have been on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives before. I know two of our local restaurants have been featured there, and then, there's been some exposure for some of our other companies just being nationally recognized for fastest growing companies, so that's very exciting for us,” he said.
First-time customer Isabella Ellec noticed the shop while getting lab work done.
She saw the viral moment with Gosling on Instagram but didn't initially connect it to The Cake Shop Bakery.
"I haven't had the cupcakes yet, but they look really good, and I'll probably have to get here really early to try the pop-tarts because they were saying they sell out really fast," Ellec said.
Richards hopes the attention benefits other small businesses as well.
"What I hope is that it features a small business like myself, and I hope it's a reflection upon all the small bakeries across the country, and I hope all of their sales are higher and more aware of what we do – we evoke happy memories, hopefully," Richards said.
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