07/31/2026
For nearly 50 years, Terri’s has never just been about cake.
It has always been about people.
My late mother, Terri, opened this bakery in 1977. Most people know her for the cakes, but what many don’t know is that her greatest gift was people. Professionally, she retired as a Chief People Officer, and whether she was at work or serving customers, she believed in helping others grow. That’s where she truly shined.
My late husband, Michael, spoke the language of food. He was a chef, a caterer, and the kind of man who showed love with a plate. He remembered everyone’s favorite meal, knew the best dishes at every restaurant, and somehow recreated those flavors so perfectly that people felt like they were sitting back at their mama’s table.
Then… there’s me. I’m the nerd of the family. I genuinely love to learn. I took my grandmother’s advice to heart when she said, “Learn something new every day.” In my learning through the years, I learned a major lesson: success isn’t about never failing; success is about failing forward, learning, rebuilding, and having the courage to reinvent yourself again…and again…and again.
That’s a valuable lesson in life but also in business.
Business is understanding supply and demand. We create what people need. We develop what people want. And when we serve people well, they keep coming back because they trust us.
Over the past 49 years, Terri’s has evolved many times. Every season taught us something. Every challenge refined us. Every success reminded us why we started.
Our Culinary Residency Program is the culmination of all of it. It represents every hat we’ve worn, every lesson we’ve learned, every mistake we’ve made, every win we’ve celebrated, and every piece of knowledge we’re now ready to pass on to someone else.
This week, one of our resident chefs fulfilled her very first DoorDash order. To some, that might seem like a small milestone. To us, it’s everything. Success isn’t measured by the people who already know your name. It’s measured by the strangers who discover you for the very first time.
We’re building a place where culinary professionals can learn, test ideas, build confidence, and create businesses that last. Applications for our October Culinary Residency cohort close today, July 31. If you’ve been thinking about applying, we hope you’ll take the leap.
If you’re an entrepreneur but not a chef, stay with us. Over the coming weeks, we’ll begin releasing resources through our Blueprint Library, sharing practical business lessons we’ve learned over nearly five decades. We believe success should be shared, and we’re excited to pour into entrepreneurs across every industry.
Thank you for allowing our family to be part of your celebrations, your milestones, your tables, and your lives for nearly half a century. Terri’s Cakes isn’t going anywhere. Terri’s Detroit is simply evolving!
