A late-night shoutout can be fleeting, unless you’re a small bakery in Florida. Then it can feel like winning the lottery before your morning coffee.
That’s what happened to The Cake Shop in Tallahassee after actor Ryan Gosling casually dropped its name on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and told viewers to try its homemade Pop Tart-style treats.
Suddenly, a neighborhood bakery found itself in the national spotlight.
Gosling’s endorsement came with a personal twist. The shop is owned by Linda Richards, whose sister, Donna Richards, works as a wardrobe supervisor on “Saturday Night Live.” That connection turned into a behind-the-scenes snack tradition when Gosling hosted the show.
“She owns a bakery in Florida in Tallahassee, and they make the most incredible Pop Tarts,” Gosling said. “You have to order these Pop Tarts.”
He added that the treats were part of the hosting experience itself.
“She gives them to you at the beginning of the show, like when you start hosting, so you’re just running on Pop Tarts the whole time.”
That kind of praise does not stay contained to a studio audience for long.
Within hours of the interview airing, The Cake Shop was flooded with attention. Calls poured in. Orders stacked up. Curiosity turned into cravings.
“It was a total shock,” owner Linda Richards told WCTV.
The bakery’s version of the nostalgic treat is called the “Popped” Tart. Gosling reportedly asked for strawberry, but the menu also includes blueberry, cinnamon, and peanut butter and jelly.
For a shop that has quietly built its reputation over more than 25 years, the moment landed hard and fast.
The Cake Shop has long been known locally for its homemade desserts and classic recipes. Richards grew up in a family where food was central. Her father was a chef who cooked for a household of six, and many of those recipes made their way into the bakery’s offerings. Oatmeal raisin cookies, “Monkey Pies,” and chocolate chip cookies, “just like Grandma used to make,” have been staples.
That steady, community-driven business suddenly met something very different. National exposure.
And it came with unusual timing.
The bakery had been closed for spring break when Gosling’s comments aired. By the time staff returned, the buzz had already built into a backlog of interest. Customers were not just curious. They were waiting.
For small businesses, that kind of attention rarely arrives, and when it does, it tends to hit all at once. One moment, it is business as usual. Next, it’s a rush that tests everything from staffing to supply.
Richards is still taking it in.
“I was blown into another universe,” she told WCTV. “I mean, that’s huge.”
And for The Cake Shop, it turned a regular week into something a lot sweeter.
