First Look: Eloise Market and Cakery moves to Perkins Road, with private event space

Local sweet shop Eloise Market and Cakery is making moves from Lee Drive to Perkins Road near Hundred Oaks Avenue, next to Billy Heroman’s Flowers. And its new location is almost fully baked. 

The bakery’s new digs are currently open for custom orders only. Loyal patrons can get their sugar fix Oct. 3-5 during Eloise’s grand opening weekend. Expect free samples, a Taylor Swift listening party, a vendor market and other exciting activities. The space will also bring new events like bougie parties and savory cooking classes. 

Owner Madelyn Schmidt Burr decided to swap locations to create a new spot from the ground up. The new Eloise features a dessert counter with a separate party and cooking class space. Its kitchen also has an open floor plan; the old one was more segmented, Burr says. And there’s a fenced-in outdoor area where patrons can sit with their treats and tiny partygoers can safely run around. 

“It’s really just cool to see how (Eloise) has grown organically,” she says. “And how things that I didn’t know or think would be a great idea turned into awesome things.”

Known for a usually sold-out calendar of king cake classes and cake decorating sessions, the bakery’s new layout allows for more ease on class and party days. The prior location had an open space shared by both the retail counter and party area. 

“It was really important for me to be able to decide the layout,” Burr says. “I wanted a private party room. At the other store, if people walked in, they just walked through someone’s birthday party. And not that that’s bad, but it was just not special enough for what I like and my standards.” 

The new class and party area has sturdy tables with stools, speakers for music, backdrops for photos, a small kitchen space for tutorials, handwashing stations, a fridge, an oven and everything Burr needs to host events. She even points out a TV where attendees can do karaoke or watch a livestream from her workstation at the counter for in-depth recipes. 

“I just really love doing private events,” she says. 

In order to expand offerings and meet new people in the community, Burr is also planning to offer cooking classes at the new Eloise, inspired by her international travels. In the sessions, attendees will work in groups to complete meals that they will then enjoy family style. Burr says these dinner classes will feature a main course, a dessert and a mocktail. She’s already working on themed classes like Greek, Italian and Thai. A class about making soda bread and scones is also in the works. 

Of course, those wanting to pop in for a sweet treat are welcome to enter and stop at the counter. Burr says there will be all the favorites like massive cake cookies, cake scrap tubs (containers of fresh cake scraps covered with icing), brownies and other baked goods. In addition to the classics, Eloise is introducing coffee and tea drinks along with a cold case that will house chocolate-covered strawberries, cake pops, cake slices and more chilled items. 

The new bakery also gives Burr and her team about 200 extra square feet, along with a better flow for business. She says the plan to move and build a new location came about a little over a year ago. Architects started building the space in March to ensure things would be ready when the Lee Drive lease ended on Aug. 31. 

“We went from grass in March to this in August,” she says. “I’m very persistent, and I knew everything would work out.”

Though the space is entirely new, Burr hasn’t abandoned the quirks of Eloise’s first home. Inside, eagle-eyed fans will see nods to the Lee Drive spot like disco balls, a rainbow fringe wall with a neon sign stating “this must be the place,” and candy colored hearts covering the walls and counter, which are spray painted by Burr herself. The private area even features the old exterior sign from Lee Drive behind Burr’s demo kitchen.

Burr opened the original Eloise in 2021 when she was 22 years old. Since then, she has seen her business grow organically and says she couldn’t be taking this step without the support of her customers and the success of her king cake classes. 

“I’ve just taken the journey as it comes and never rushed it or tried to be something or somebody I wasn’t. And it paid off,” she says. “I grew up on Park Boulevard. So I grew up walking to the Country Corner to get snacks and stuff, and I went to school at SJA right there. So it feels full circle. It was so interesting because I was just a kid walking around in front of my store, and I didn’t even know it.” 

Eloise Market and Cakery is currently only taking custom orders in its new location. A grand opening weekend will take place Oct. 3-5. Burr says she is looking to expand her team and is hiring for the new bakery. Find more information about the Perkins Road spot by following Eloise’s Instagram. The new location is at 1940 Perkins Road.