When Fatty’s moved into the Arts District in 2018, it didn’t receive a very warm welcome. Surprise road construction crushed the bakery’s retail sales for a year. Then, on the same day that Fatty’s was set to reopen its storefront, the governor announced mandatory business closures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Allyson Yaecker, Julio Cerda and Savannah King
“It was the deciding factor—do we close the doors? Or do we reinvent it and finally do the bakery we want?” says co-owner Allyson Yaecker.
At the height of quarantine, the punk-rock bake shop dug in its heels, developed recipes and doubled down on its DIY style. Cupcakes like the best-selling churro flavor are stuffed with cream and literally flipped on their heads. Each of the walls inside the shop features a different local graffiti artist. And everything—from cake mixes and toppings to buttermilk biscuit breakfast sandwiches—is handmade.
“When we come to work, it’s not work to me. It’s what we love to do,” Yaecker says. “Not to be cliché, but there’s literally love in everything, because we’re the ones doing it. There’s no machine—it’s just our hands.”
Quality control also applies to the people behind the food. Yaecker and co-owner Savannah King and baker Julio Cerda say they couldn’t have reopened in December 2021 without support from one another. From buying ingredients to baking, assembling, selling and advertising, the three amigos take care of all aspects of business.
The self-proclaimed “black sheep” of local bake shops is planning a fourth anniversary celebration in April. Find more details on Instagram @fattyslv.
FATTY’S 1015 S. Third St., 702-971-2323, fattysdtlv.com. Tuesday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
