By Carl Fauver | [email protected]

As a young boy growing up in Taylorsville and attending Fremont Elementary School, Lincoln Fillmore loved to bake with his mother. That memory, and his desire to give back to the city of his youth, has prompted Fillmore to partner with two other people in opening the fifth Nothing Bundt Cakes store in our state.

The store (5338 South Redwood Road) had a “soft opening” in October, an official ChamberWest ribbon cutting last month and is now rolling headlong into what’s expected to be a busy December holiday season.

“When I tasted my first Nothing Bundt Cake, it was like going back to my childhood—baking with my mother, using all fresh ingredients and serving our handmade creation to loved ones,” Fillmore said. “It’s important our kids have the opportunity to build memories like we did, grow up and then return to give back to the neighborhoods that gave them so much.”

Fillmore gives back in another way as well. Since 2016, he has represented West Jordan, Herriman and South Jordan (District 10) in the Utah State Senate. Last month, the Republican lawmaker won reelection by a nearly two-thirds (65% to 35%) majority.

“One of my top priorities [going into the 2021 state legislative session, next month] is to make sure the west side of our (Salt Lake) valley—where all the [population] growth is—gets its fair share of infrastructure dollars,” he said. “We need to be sure we have the funding to improve our roads and water supply.”

Joining Fillmore in his business partnership are Utah County residents Max Meyer (American Fork) and Mandee Thompson (Lehi). The new Nothing Bundt Cakes store has four full and 18 part-time employees.

“Lincoln and I have been business partners for more than 10 years, and we were looking for a new opportunity,” Meyer said. “My role is to fine-tune the new operation. Our goal is to have several Nothing Bundt Cakes stores in Utah. We investigated lots of franchise opportunities, and this one seemed the best.”

The new store is located in Taylorsville City Councilman Curt Cochran’s district, and he’s pleased with their choice. 

“I’m glad they are here, although I hope it doesn’t affect my waistline too bad,” Cochran joked. “I have had a couple [of the cakes] already, and they are delicious.”

And what does the councilman think of the partners opening their venture in the midst of a global pandemic?

“I think this shows the American spirit is alive and strong,” Cochran said. “Where some people see setbacks, others see opportunities. This [pandemic] is not going to last forever. It is good to see people remembering that.”

After attending Fremont Elementary and Eisenhower Junior High schools in Taylorsville, Fillmore moved with his family to California to attend high school. However, he quickly moved back to the Salt Lake Valley, earning his mass communication B.S. degree at the University of Utah in 1999.

The former Taylorsville resident married his wife, Cheryl, in 2013, and they are now the parents of Niko (5) and Sydney (2).

“I first learned about Nothing Bundt Cakes about 10 years ago while working in my office in Draper,” Fillmore said. “As a part of their marketing strategy, the Sandy store delivered a free cake to my office. It was so good I never forgot it.”

In September, weeks before opening his new store, Fillmore came full circle, delivering about 5,000 free cakes to businesses and people in Taylorsville and West Valley City.

In 1997, Nothing Bundt Cakes was founded in Las Vegas by Dena Tripp and Debbie Shwetz. Not quite a quarter-century later, they now boast more than 350 franchises in 40 states and one Canadian province.

“They have such a good efficient model for bringing people joy,” Fillmore said. “When do people buy cakes? When they are celebrating. It is really a privilege to be a part of people’s celebrations.”