Kyle Dumont faced a difficult choice when it came time to renew the franchise agreement he’d held with Edible Arrangements since he was 18 years old.
With the highest volume of orders out of more than 1,000 locations, his Nashua store ranked number-one in the nation, he said. He had spent nine years operating his Edible Arrangements shop and had built the institutional know-how and local connections to continue succeeding in southern New Hampshire.
His decision to sever the agreement gave way to a more expansive operation whose seedling is germinating in Concord: New Hampshire’s first Nothing Bundt Cakes location, one of six Dumont expects to open in New Hampshire and Massachusetts over the course of the next four years.
“With Edible, I only owned one location, that was the type of brand where you only own one, but I was always hungry for more and I knew I could handle the multi-unit development deal,” he said. “It ended up being a phenomenal decision.”
Last month, Dumont opened his Nothing Bundt Cakes store on Loudon Road.
More than his love of the white chocolate raspberry bundt cake, Dumont believes strongly in the popular chain’s brand, which prioritizes giving back to local communities.
The store’s grand opening at the beginning of September kicked off with a ribbon-cutting, where Gov. Kelly Ayotte and Concord Mayor Byron Champlin were present as part of a “community appreciation day” for public servants and first responders.
The week progressed with Dumont donating 20% of all the store’s sales to Easterseals. Donating profits is a brand standard for grand openings, he said, but the choice of the organization was his own.
“Us bakery owners, when we sign the franchise agreement, we know that being committed to connecting with the community is what drives this business and brand,” he said.
Festivities ended with an all-day giveaway last Saturday: Nothing Bundt Cakes gifted customers 300 confetti-flavored individual servings of cake, or bundletts.
“The bakery was bonkers, it was nonstop all day long, people were so excited to come in,” he said.
Dumont has relied on the support of six business partners across the country, including two couples who owned Edible Arrangement franchises in Texas and Ohio, whom he met through the franchise network.
Their pivot to franchising with Nothing Bundt Cakes reassured him in his choice. From there, the remaining pieces fell into place.
Concord was not the location Dumont envisioned opening first, but he found the right real estate at the right time: a spot on Loudon Road across from Steeplegate Mall, which could become 600 apartments if redevelopment plans come to fruition.
“There’s something to be said about knowing the Concord is the state capitol, and future development and growth on Loudon Road also made it a highly attractive location,” he said.
Dumont has plans to open five more Nothing Bundt Cakes locations.
He expects stores in Manchester and Nashua will open within the next year, and within the next three to five years, he’ll introduce three new locations in Massachusetts.
“We canโt get them open fast enough,” he said. “People are knocking down the door.”
The Concord location at 273 Loudon Road is open seven days a week and offers delivery, pick-up and catering. Visit https://www.nothingbundtcakes.com/find-a-bakery/nh/concord/ for more information.
