Unicorn Bake Shop

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Unicorn Bake Shop
Unicorn Bake Shop logo.jpeg
Unicorn Bake Shop 2.jpg
The bakery's exterior, 2022
Unicorn Bake Shop
Restaurant information
EstablishedFebruary 29, 2020 (2020-02-29)
ClosedFebruary 29, 2024 (2024-02-29)
Owner(s)Carrie Padian
Food type Vegan
Street address2824 Southeast Gladstone Street
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97202
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 45°29′36″N122°38′13″W / 45.4932°N 122.6369°W / 45.4932; -122.6369
Website unicornbakeshop.com

Unicorn Bake Shop was a bakery in Portland, Oregon, United States. [1] Carrie Padian opened the storefront in southeast Portland's Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood in February 2020, after operating a home kitchen since 2016. The business specialized in gluten-free and vegan baked goods such as cakes, cupcakes, cookies, macarons, and pies, along with drinks including coffee and tea. Unicorn garnered a positive reception and was included in a 2024 list of the 16 best bakeries in the nation for vegan cupcakes by VegNews . The bakery's storefront closed permanently on February 29, 2024, after operating for exactly four years.

Contents

Description

The family-friendly bakery Unicorn Bake Shop operated on Gladstone Street in southeast Portland, Oregon's Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood. [2] The interior had white walls and a pastel mural by artist Ryan Bubnis that depicted cookies, a roller-skating cupcake, and unicorns. [3] [4] The Oregonian and Eater Portland described the bakery as "colorful" and "whimsical", respectively. [5] [6] The magazine PDX Parent called Unicorn "joyful". [7]

Unicorn operated within the mixed-use development known as Jolene's First Cousin, which was built by Guerrilla Development. [8] The business had a subscription service that delivered baked goods to customers. [9]

The menu featured gluten-free and vegan baked goods. The "unicorn bar" was made of sugar cookie and had frosting and "super-adorable" sprinkles. Macarons included a colorful sherbet variety and another that was decorated to resemble a cheeseburger, while cookies included a "Defund the Police" option with pieces of Andes Chocolate Mints as well as the vegan "Universal Preschool". Among cupcake varieties were blueberry-waffle, chocolate, Funfetti, lemon, Oreo, [10] red velvet, strawberry, and vanilla. [1] [10]

According to Eater Portland, Unicorn's desserts like cakes and mousses were not "saccharine sweet" because the owner preferred to use chocolate and salt for balance. [3] Cakes were decorated with cookies, "sparkly" frosting, and unicorn horns. Varieties included Funfetti and strawberry, using various buttercream options and fillings such as raspberry jam. "Mini" and full-size cakes were available. [11] Unicorn also offered pies, [9] coffee, and tea. [3]

Unicorn had holiday specials. For the holiday season in late 2021, the bakery offered special varieties, including Egg Nog and Orange Rosemary as well as the gluten-free Frostry and Salted Caramel Apple options. Unicorn also carried almond shortbread dipped in chocolate as well as gingerbread cookie bars. [7] In 2022, the business offered chocolate brownie bites in the shape of heart symbols, strawberry cupcakes dipped in chocolate, and sugar-cookie lollipops for Valentine's Day. [12]

History

Unicorn was owned by Carrie Padian, who started operating a home kitchen in 2016. [3] [8] In January 2019, during the 2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown, Unicorn offered 4-inch (10 cm) custom celebration cakes or a $40 discount on larger orders for federal employees in financial stress. [13]

In February 2020, Brooke Jackson-Glidden of Eater Portland described Padian's plan to open a storefront for Unicorn on February 29. [3] The bakery's murals were painted by the time of the Leap Year grand opening. [4]

Unicorn was among approximately 100 businesses in the Portland metropolitan area to participate in the 2022 "Shop Small Win Big" event, which supports local businesses. [9] In late 2023, Padian said Unicorn was experiencing a financial strain. She wrote on social media that the shop made insufficient sales and urged its customers to spend their money on small businesses. [6]

Unicorn's shop closed permanently on February 29, 2024, after operating for exactly four years. [6] The Oregonian said the closure was part of a "rash of recent shutters" of local bakeries. [5] Similarly, KGW said the closure was among several local vegan establishments that stopped operating around the same time, including Blossoming Lotus, Fermenter, and Sweet Hereafter. [14] Padian continued to fulfill custom cake orders from her home after Unicorn's storefront closed. [11]

Reception

In Eater Portland's 2024 overview of recommendations for birthday cakes in the city, Michelle Lopez, Brooke Jackson-Glidden, and Janey Wong stated Unicorn was "ideal for kids' birthday parties", [11] a sentiment shared by Denise Castañon of PDX Parent. [2] The magazine VegNews included Unicorn in a 2024 list of the 16 best bakeries in the nation for vegan cupcakes. [1] NW Kids Magazine recommended Unicorn for custom cakes for birthday parties and celebrations. [15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pointing, Charlotte (July 19, 2024). "16 Bakeries With Vegan Cupcakes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth". VegNews . ISSN   1544-8495 . Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Great Ideas for Family-Friendly Restaurants in PDX". PDX Parent. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (February 20, 2020). "A Colorful New Bakery Will Open in Creston-Kenilworth". Eater Portland . Vox Media . Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Leonard, Rita A. (April 3, 2020). "Unicorn Bake Shop opens on Gladstone Street". The Bee . Pamplin Media Group. OCLC   55663345 . Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Russell, Michael (February 28, 2024). "Portland's latest restaurant closures include Roseway Vietnamese restaurant, Sellwood gastropub". The Oregonian . Advance Publications. ISSN   8750-1317. OCLC   985410693. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Wong, Janey (January 20, 2021). "Portland's Restaurant, Bar, and Food Cart Closures". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Visit These Portland Dessert Shops for Kid-Friendly Holiday Treats". PDX Parent. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
  8. 1 2 "A New Approach to Development on Gladstone". Southeast Examiner. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Harlan, Kohr. "Kohr Explores: Portland businesses participate in 'Shop Small Win Big'". KOIN.
  10. 1 2 "A Sweet Bit of Magic at Unicorn Bake Shop". PDX Parent. Archived from the original on December 11, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 Lopez, Michelle (April 3, 2019). "Where to Order a Birthday Cake in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Top 5 Valentine's Day Treats". PDX Parent. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  13. ↑ Gabrielson, Kjerstin (January 16, 2019). "Government shutdown: Oregon deals, freebies and assistance for furloughed workers (updated)". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Portland vegan Indian restaurant to close after 10 years". KGW. April 29, 2024. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Birthday Party Guide". NW Kids Magazine. August 31, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
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