1 week Ago By [email protected] (Bobby Lewis)
Nothing Bundt Cakes is a mega-popular bakery chain with approximately 650 locations across the United States. But after the company's sale to a new private equity owner and the departure of its co-founder, the beloved specialty cake retailer is changing up its operating hours, according to a report from CNN . Starting February 2, all locations will be required to open on Sundays for at least five hours.
This change to the company's longstanding policy that franchisees had the option to close on Sundays will not change much for most employees. According to the company, over 500 Nothing Bundt Cakes locations already serve better-than-homemade cakes on Sundays. But not all of the chain's employees and franchisees are taking this new policy well.
According to CNN, some franchisees are even choosing to sell their stores rather than conform to the new rules. And for some, the reason for this decision comes down to questions of religious liberty. Behind the Nothing Bundt Cakes Sunday controversy For a range of reasons, franchise owners and employees in several states are upset by Nothing Bundt Cakes' rule change.
Much of the controversy, however, is centered in the state of Utah, where a majority of people are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As with other Christian denominations, the Latter-day Saints movement holds Sunday as the Sabbath, the day of the week that God set aside for rest and worship. While many Christians in America work on Sundays, this is less true among many Latter-day Saints members — including those who own or work at Nothing Bundt Cakes locations.
The chain itself may not be influenced by Christianity (unlike the controversial fast food chain Chick-fil-A ), but nonetheless, before Nothing Bundt Cakes' rule change, Utah residents who wanted a cake on Sundays had to visit the grocery store instead. The cake chain's new policy is provoking a reaction in Utah, where two state representatives proposed a bill that would prohibit franchised businesses like Nothing Bundt Cakes from requiring franchises to open on Sundays, unless specifically negotiated in the original agreement. In response, Nothing Bundt Cakes said it would watch the potential deliberations closely (via Fox 13 ).
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