Driven inside by pervasive rain, a small crowd gathered in a tiny storefront Nov. 21 to welcome Issaquah’s newest and sweetest business.

Nothing Bundt Cakes, 755 N.W. Gilman, opened its first King County location, cutting the ribbon on the bundt cake-centric bakery with Issaquah Mayor Fred Butler, Issaquah Chamber of Commerce CEO Matthew Bott, and Impact Studios founder and “King of Issaquah” Nathan Bosseler.

The bakery is the second Nothing Bundt Cakes location opened in the Puget Sound region in the last few months, owned by franchisees Lea and Brian Saunders.

“Everything is made fresh on premises,” Lea Saunders said. “Everything is made from scratch. It’s like a home ec explosion in the back of the bakery.”

Founded in 1997 by Dena Tripp and Debbie Shwetz as a side project for entertaining friends and family, Nothing Bundt Cakes has expanded to locations in 25 states throughout the southern U.S. and the Pacific Coast. The Issaquah location is the third in Washington, with bakeries in Mill Creek and Spokane.

While Nothing Bundt Cakes can do custom orders, they specialize in having up to 10 varieties available at any time in a variety of sizes and styles.

“If someone needs something for a big celebration or a big dinner, or something small to bring in to make someone feel good … we try to make it so that we have what they need,” Saunders said. “We try to make it about celebration, decoration, and getting together.”

The Saunders came to the area after working at a bakery in Nevada. While they opened their first branch in Mill Creek, the Saunders moved to a home along the Issaquah and Sammamish border a year ago. Saunders knew she had to have a branch in her family’s new hometown.

“We just love the people,” Saunders said. “There’s a great sense of community. We love how everybody knows each other and there’s a real sense of supporting those local businesses. Our son is really thriving in the community and we just really love it … For us, it’s just like Shangri-La.”

Saunders is also searching for local charities and fundraiser groups to work with her bakery so that Nothing Bundt Cakes can help give back to the community.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is located at 775 N.W. Gilman Blvd., next to Target. The bakery is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.nothingbundtcakes.com/bakery/wa/issaquah.