Burnaby’s Punk Rock Pastries is known for provocative treats ranging from the erotic to the downright creepy, but when founder Hollie Fraser muses about closing up shop this year, it's the kids' birthday cakes she thinks about.
"It's seven years of my life in this place, and the amount of people's birthday cakes I've made, the amount of kids' cakes that I've made from, like, their first birthday to now, like, their seventh birthday, it's really hard," she told the Burnaby NOW. "My heart is quite broken."
Fraser took to Instagram Tuesday to announce that Punk Rock Pastries would be shutting down in 2025.
She hasn't picked a date yet, but said it will likely be in the summer.
"If you've ever wanted to try Punk Rock Pastries and you've been saying, 'I've been driving past that place every single day, and I never stop,' now's your time to stop. Now's your time to come in," Fraser said in the video.
When asked why she has decided to close up shop, Fraser told the NOW "cause shit is hard."
"Not enough customers, the price of the ingredients skyrocketing; like, have you looked at the price of butter lately? Things are just too tough at the moment, so it's time to stop getting in debt and step away," she said.
Fraser said she doesn't know what the future holds. She said she will continue to make custom cakes, but she is stepping away from the business for now to spend more time with her family.
"Seven years they've had to put up with my crap for this bakery," she said.
Punk Rock Pastries opened its doors at 5548 Hastings St. in 2019 and has been raising eyebrows and winning awards ever since.
At the 2019 Food Network's Big Bake Halloween edition, Punk Rock Pastries won the prestige award for best bakery of the year; it has won entrepreneur awards from the Burnaby Board of Trade, and captured top spot at season 9 of the Halloween Baking Championship in 2023.
"We've done amazing stuff over the last seven years, and I'm so proud of where we've come, and my amazing staff have helped me get there," Fraser said.
Along with the awards, Fraser said meeting some of her idols, including Bif Naked, No Effects and Alice Cooper's band, has been another highlight of running the shop.
Just two weeks ago, she made a playable electric guitar cake for rock band Sum 41.
"Being able to meet these people, growing up with their music and stuff, it's been pretty bloody cool," Fraser said.
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