Our Founder: Gloria Alvarez

In 1972, Gloria Alvarez, a passionate cake decorator, decided to turn her love for baking into a business. While teaching cake decorating classes at Veterans Memorial Park in Culver City, Gloria realized that her students struggled to find the supplies they needed. Determined to help, she would drive around town, gathering tools and ingredients from various vendors. It didn’t take long for her to see an untapped market—Gloria’s Cake & Candy Supplies was born.

Gloria’s vision was simple: create a one-stop shop where bakers and decorators could find everything they needed under one roof. Her dedication and commitment to quality quickly made her store a beloved fixture in the community.

Family Business and Legacy

For decades, Gloria’s Cake & Candy Supplies thrived, moving locations but always staying true to its roots. Even after Gloria’s passing in 2012, the store remained a family affair. Linda Gonzalez, Gloria’s niece, took the reins, driven by the same passion and love for baking that her aunt had instilled in her.

Linda had been by Gloria’s side since she was a child, learning the art of cake decorating and helping out during her high school summers. When she took over, Linda brought fresh energy and ideas, rejuvenating the store with a new location, a redesigned logo, and a strong focus on customer service. Her efforts paid off, turning the shop’s fortunes around and building a loyal customer base.

Continuing the Legacy with Linda

With deep roots in the community and a love for cake decorating, Linda Gonzalez took on the challenge of rejuvenating the business. She moved it to a new location, redesigned the logo, and focused on improving customer service and social media presence. Her efforts paid off, as the shop's reviews improved significantly, and revenue increased by 60%. Linda's commitment to maintaining high standards and providing exceptional customer service has been key to the shop's success.

The Future of Gloria's with Crystal

Today, under the new ownership of Crystal Meredith, we continue to honor Gloria's passion and dedication. Our goal is to provide everything you need to make, decorate, and transport your baked goods while helping you step up your game with the latest and greatest products.

We strive to continually improve the customer experience and are excited to move towards an enhanced online shop—offering the convenience of buying online and picking up in-store.

We will also continue to offer and expand our range of classes, bringing in more specialties to cater to a wider audience.

But in the end, it's most important for us to keep Gloria's legacy alive—

"to create a one-stop shop where bakers and decorators could find everything they needed under one roof."