(KRON) — An event was held at Angel Cakes in Oakland on Sunday to celebrate its transition to a worker-led cooperative.
After the tragic loss of owner Jen Angel, who was robbed and killed in February 2023, her employees faced a challenging decision: to keep the beloved Oakland bakery open or close its doors.
“Jen was a very planned person. She did have her business in trusts in case something were to happen to her. The rules of her trust were that everybody has to come together and make a decision on what has to happen,” said Tatlin Johnson, Angel Cakes co-op owner.
“It was so heavy on so many levels,” added Maggie Piatt, another co-op owner. “This is just surreal to be honest because it’s been quite a journey the last couple of years to get here.”
Ultimately, they chose to keep the bakery open, operating as a worker-led cooperative called Angel Cakes Collective.
“At the moment we are worker-owned by four people. However, we have two people who will soon become worker owners, if they choose to—we hope they do. We have a horizontal work structure, so no one is essentially above each other,” explained Tatlin.
The four co-op owners celebrated their hard work at the Sugar Rush event on Sunday at the Gingerbread House next door. “We baked over 2,000 cupcakes with over 41 different flavors,” Tatlin shared.
Maggie added, “I really like to think of what we do as spreading joy through cupcakes.”
The co-op owners express their desire to honor Jen with every cupcake enjoyed. “It means everything. What she created was very special. It feels just…I just feel proud to be a part of it,” Maggie reflected.
Tatlin emphasized, “She created such an amazing work environment that made me want to continue with this business even after her passing.”
