Nothing Bundt Cakes CEO Dolf Berle, center, is celebrated with leaders from last year’s winner Dave’s Hot Chicken, Informa and sponsor Thanx. | Photo by Lisa Jennings
It’s a good year to be a bundt cake concept.
The quick-service franchise concept Nothing Bundt Cakes was named this year’s winner of the Pacesetter Award, which honors brands that have taken leadership in their category and achieved next-level growth.
The 803-unit dessert chain was celebrated at the annual Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix on Sunday, hosted by Restaurant Business, Nation’s Restaurant News and parent company Informa.
The honor comes less than a month after Dallas-based Nothing Bundt Cakes announced its acquisition by private-equity firm KKR in a deal that valued the brand at $2 billion.
CEO Dolf Berle on Sunday noted that Nothing Bundt Cakes is a mostly franchised brand, saying the heroes for the Pacesetter award are many. But he attributed the brand’s success to “the bakery owners across America who are fulfilling their American Dream by having a business of their own and being in the joy business.”
Nothing Bundt Cakes was founded in 1997 in Las Vegas by Dena Tripp and Debbie Schetz with a very specific focus: the German-inspired bundt cake, which are offered in a variety of flavors and sizes.
Flavors now range from strawberry cheesecake swirl and chocolate chocolate chip to a gluten-free lemon raspberry, Biscoff Cookie Butter or Dubai Chocolate, and the cakes come in larger 8- and 10-inch sizes, as well as smaller, personal Bundtlets and even smaller Bundtinis by the dozen. All can be creatively decorated for the occasion or season with signature cream-cheese frosting.
Nothing Bundt Cakes reached 390 units in 2021, when the chain was acquired by Roark Capital. The chain’s unit count grew to 643 locations by the end of 2024.
With an average unit volume of nearly $1.4 million, Nothing Bundt Cakes last year recorded U.S. sales of $982 million, up more than 15% over the prior year, according to data from Technomic. The chain added 120 locations in 2025, up more than 17%, and the brand is now in 45 states.
Those are stand-out numbers in the quick-service snack category, which grew sales on average about 3.3% last year, and units 3.7%, according to Technomic.
And, though Nothing Bundt Cakes was named America’s Favorite Chain by Technomic and Nation’s Restaurant News two years in a row, the chain has just 25% brand awareness in the U.S.
That means there’s plenty of room for growth.
Earlier this year, Berle said Nothing Bundt Cakes plans to grow by about 20% per year, with sights set on reaching 3,000 domestic units, and perhaps growing internationally.
As is tradition, the Pacesetter Award baton was passed to Nothing Bundt Cakes from last year’s winner: Dave’s Hot Chicken.
“We are not nearly as cool as Dave’s Hot Chicken,” said Berle at the awards celebration. “But we have a very special brand of joy that we bring to the world, and that joy is based in caring and kindness and gratitude. And it turns out that there’s a huge reservoir of those three things in people across America.”
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