Greene native’s Canonsburg Cake Company adds decadence to downtown
Lindsey and Zak Parks recently opened the Canonsburg Cake Company along West Pike Street in Canonsburg. Lindsey, a self-taught pastry chef and Greene County native, launched an online bakery in 2021 and when her business exploded, began searching for a storefront. (Photo by Katherine Mansfield)
Katherine Mansfield
Lindsey Parks has been baking since she was a little girl. When her online bakery, launched in 2021 and grew almost overnight, she began searching for a brick-and-mortar location, which opened along Canonsburgās West Pike Street last week.
Among cupcakes and other offerings, the Canonsburg Cake Company sells homemade scones and cakes. Owner Lindsey Parks, a Greene County native, said the single-serving cakes are her favorite thing to bake. (Photo by Katherine Mansfield)
The Canonsburg Cake Company was packed with customers March 25, when the bakery officially opened for business. Greene County native Lindsey Parks, center behind the counter; her mother, Melody Longstreth and husband, Zak, spent the day meeting and filling orders for customers. (Photo by Katherine Mansfield)
Canonsburgās West Pike Street just got a little sweeter.
The Canonsburg Cake Company opened the doors to its modern, minimalist storefront, and by 1 p.m. the small family business was nearly sold out of beautiful cupcakes, drool-worthy micro cakes and pretty scones.
āI had been (baking) for friends and family since 2013,ā said Lindsey Parks, a Greene County native who relocated with her husband, Zak, to Canonsburg six years ago and owns the store. āOne thing led to another and I realized I could really make this something viable. So I decided to go ahead and try.ā
Parks grew up baking. She and her grandmother, Letha Longstreth, spent countless happy hours in the kitchen crafting pies and baked goods. Nothing fancy, Parks said, though thatās hard to believe when glancing at the decadent pastries inside her shop.
Itās also hard to believe the pastry chef is self-taught. Parks graduated with a degree in teaching and put that diploma to use in Greene County, where she spent her days teaching kindergarten and her evenings baking and decorating. Baking as a side gig began in 2013, the year her grandparents, Letha and Ted, celebrated their golden anniversary.
Suddenly, Parksā cakes were in high demand.
āThis was calling my name,ā she said.
In September of last year, Parks made her passion for pastries official when she launched a virtual bakery. Within months of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the cake company exploded.
āSheās always been a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit. When she said, āHey, Iām going to do the virtual business and one day maybe have a brick-and-mortar,ā weāre thinking āone day,ā not less than six, seven months,ā laughed Melody Longstreth, Parksā mother and the executive director of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce. āI just had no idea it would be so quick. I just watched it blossom.ā
When the business took off, Parks connected with Lisa Scarmazzi, economic developer for Canonsburg Borough, who helped Parks find a storefront. Parks signed a lease for the property aptly situated across the street from Grandpa Joeās candy shop in January and worked tirelessly alongside her family to renovate the space.
On March 25, representatives from three chambers of commerce, state senator Camera Bartolotta, Washington County commissioners, Canonsburg Mayor Dave Rhome and several family members attended the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Parks is unique in that she belongs to the Canonsburg, Peters and Greene County Chambers of Commerce.
āBetsyās (McClure, commissioner) thought on blurring the lines and working collaboratively, I think thatās something coming out of the pandemic that we all need to work together as a region,ā said Longstreth. āThis is just another business that is going to show that, yes, we can blur those county lines and sheās going to be successful in several locations.ā
Hilltop Packs Coffee Company in Waynesburg sells Canonsburg Cake Company products, and now the cake company has its own home along Canonsburgās main drag.
āPike Street is coming alive,ā said A.J. Williams, president of Canonsburg Chamber of Commerce. āBorn and raised here. Itās been a really long time since Pike Street has looked like this. On a personal level, itās great, and weāre glad to see you part of this.ā
Rhome presented Parks a citation welcoming her business to town, and the Canonsburg Chamber of Commerce gifted her a six-month membership before Parks took extra-large scissors in hand and cut the ribbon outside her shop.
Parks said she is looking forward to serving the community, and is thrilled to be part of Canonsburgās thriving downtown.
The Canonsburg Cake Company is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday.