A Sweet Sensation

New Cake Jars Are a Benefit to TruBru

Photo by Everett Slocum / Maclay Andalusian

The TruBru Coffee Shop and Spirit Gear store has been serving students, parents and faculty since 2020 in the Beck Family Innovation Center. TruBru usually opens at 7:30 a.m and closes at 3:00 p.m. Their coffee is supplied by Lucky Goat, while most of their pastries, including cake slices and muffins, are supplied by the Tailored Confections (TC) Bakery. TruBru’s manager, Jarod Bates, is constantly working to add new options to the shop. Most food items in TruBru are refrigerated, including cake slices, salads, beverages, sandwiches, dips and cake jars.

Cake jars are the newest dessert brought to the TruBru shelves. Like other desserts in the shop, TruBru’s cake jars are made by TC Bakery. Flavors are constantly rotating, so students have been able to try oreo, chocolate, birthday cake, red velvet and cookie monster.

“Cake jars are a new and practical way to enjoy the cake slices from TC Bakery that we have carried for the past few years,” Bates said. “TC Bakery makes a variety of flavors, so I order whatever they are making at the time. I typically receive new [cake jar] orders on Tuesdays and Fridays.”

The new cake jars have been in high demand. They take up less space than the traditional cake slice, which Bates may phase out completely.

“[The cake jars] are new and exciting items… they take up less space and I can sell more of them,” Bates said.

So far, TruBru has been selling more cake jars than cake slices. This may be because students just want to try a new product, so I bought the oreo cake jar myself to see if they should stay. The jar had three repeating layers: black cookie crumbs, white frosting and yellow sponge. 

Overall, the cake jar was sweet and dense. The traditional cake slice and the new cake jar aren’t different in flavor, but I would still choose the jar over the slice due to the small, tightly packed jar being easier to transport than a large container. Moreover, reducing shelf space by swapping the cake slices for cake jars means that Bates can add more products to the shelves. Available shelf space allows Bates to continue enhancing customer experience and store sales.

“I'm currently working with other vendors to try and bring new and exciting items to TruBru,” Bates said. “Stay tuned!”