PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 A Phoenix family-owned bakery suddenly shut down this month and customers who already paid for orders are angry they won\u2019t get any refunds.<\/p>\n
The owners of Baker Wee Bakery<\/a> are heartbroken and said economic pressures forced them to close their doors after 30 years in business.<\/p>\n Customers tell Arizona\u2019s Family they were not notified. Now, lots of people who already paid for cakes for upcoming special events like weddings, birthday parties, and graduations are forced to eat the cost and they\u2019re left scrambling to find somewhere else to go last minute.<\/p>\n Summer Welsh and Josh Jones are scheduled to be married on Oct. 18, but instead of experiencing bride-to-be bliss, Welsh is panicking.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t checked, I would have shown up on my wedding day and there would just be no cake,\u201d said Welsh.<\/p>\n Last month, her parents paid in full for her dream three-tier wedding cake. They forked over nearly $1,200 to Baker Wee Bakery.<\/p>\n On Monday night, her family found out the business went under. They said they had no warning and saw a message from the bakery online.<\/p>\n \u201cThey just said we\u2019re flat out of money. You\u2019re out of luck,\u201d said Welsh.<\/p>\n Another soon-to-be Mrs. read about it on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cNo email, phone call, nothing,\u201d said Sarah Watson. \u201cWe would of been at our wedding with no wedding cake. I had just spoke with them two weeks ago. We confirmed all of these details.\u201d<\/p>\n The shocking news is causing added stress for Watson. She\u2019s set to marry her fianc\u00e9, Kris Hass, in mid-November. In April, they sent Baker Wee about $540 for their custom wedding cake.<\/p>\n \u201cOur family has actually used Baker Wee for about 20 years,\u201d said Watson. \u201cThey were the best deal, the best-tasting cake. We really thought we hit the lottery when we made our purchase from them.\u201d<\/p>\n The bakery\u2019s last day open was Sept. 21 and the owners said they\u2019re in the process of letting customers know.<\/p>\n The family behind the shop said that when they accepted orders, they believed they could fulfill them and the decision to call it quits after three decades is because of insolvency.<\/p>\n According to the owners, they\u2019re following Arizona law by giving all assets to landlords and creditors. Customer refunds aren\u2019t possible because all of the money is gone.<\/p>\n Instead, the owners suggest people like Welsh and Watson ask their banks and credit cards for a chargeback.<\/p>\n \u201cJust to disappear and take the money and run and say nothing to anybody, not offer any refunds. It\u2019s just really like beyond me,\u201d said Welsh.<\/p>\n \u201cFor this big of a hit without any sort of notification, it just hurts and it feels like we were disrespected,\u201d said Watson.<\/p>\n While Arizona\u2019s Family was at the bakery, a customer came by and tried to go inside. She said she had no idea that they permanently closed and she was really angry to learn that she\u2019s out the $500 she already spent on a cake.<\/p>\n After 30 years in business, we recently made the heartbreaking decision to close our bakery. This is not a bankruptcy filing, but rather a closure due to insolvency as the business simply could not survive the economic pressures it has been under.<\/p>\n When customer orders were accepted, we fully believed we would be able to fulfill them. Unfortunately, circumstances changed quickly, and despite our best efforts, we could not keep the doors open. We are in the process of notifying customers with upcoming orders, and we deeply regret the disappointment and stress this has caused.<\/p>\n As for refunds, there are no funds remaining. Under Arizona law, any remaining business assets must go first to landlords and creditors, leaving nothing available to return to customers. This is not the outcome we ever wanted, and it weighs heavily on us.<\/p>\n For three decades we were privileged to celebrate weddings, birthdays, and milestones with families across Phoenix, and we are profoundly grateful for the community\u2019s support over the years. It is truly heartbreaking that our story ends this way.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n