A baker was made to feel like an “incompetent piece of trash” after being accused of making a six-year-old girl cry over an “inappropriately” decorated birthday cake. Following a mother’s harsh feedback and request to get a freebie, a handful of people jumped to the exasperated baker’s defense.
Taking to his TikTok page on September 5, Gregory Mason, who owns Treat Yo’ Self Bakery in Wilson, North Carolina, USA, with his husband Alexander Mason, recalled the moment a customer was unsatisfied with their birthday cake order.
In the now-viral video, which has amassed over 25 million views, Gregory explained: “So apparently I made this six-year-old cry, she’s heartbroken, ruined her entire birthday, because this cake is just so ugly.”
The baker showed a round, white-frosted cake with colorful decorations which featured a yellow star or flower shape in the center, adorned with small rosettes in pink, purple, and green.
A baker was made to feel like an “incompetent piece of trash”
Pastel-colored cursive writing adorned the cake, which read: “Leighton Lee’s 6th Magical Birthday.”
The TikToker continued: “Literally says, ‘You have over a million followers and can’t decorate a simple unicorn cake?’”
Gregory went on to explain that his customer — the child’s mother — brought the cake back in for him to remake it, as per Today.
According to the video, the angered mom said Gregory’s creation didn’t match the inspiration picture she provided.
Additionally, the customer didn’t like the roses, thought the border looked “like toothpaste”, and added that the text being written in cursive was “not kid-friendly.”
“The kicker for me is the colors,” Gregory added. “I went out of my way to use these natural food colors she supplied for an allergy because no other place would.”
He was accused of making a six-year-old girl cry over an “inappropriately” decorated birthday cake
The baker then showed himself re-mixing the colors to be darker, per the client’s request, before explaining that he doesn’t “usually share customer interactions” but decided to film himself redoing the cake with a second unicorn design.
He exclaimed: “Because if you come into my business and treat me like I’m an incompetent piece of trash and say you’re going to start posting stuff, then I’m going to post stuff, too, and stand up for myself.”
Gregory concluded: “If you don’t like the cake, then let’s just have a polite conversation and figure out the miscommunication.
“Not coming at me hot saying I crushed your six-year-old’s unicorn dreams.”
The video left many people divided as a TikTok user commented: “I promise that the 6yo probably didn’t hate it as much as the mom said she did.”
“I liked the first one better,” a person wrote.
Following a mother’s harsh feedback and request to get a freebie, a handful of people jumped to the baker’s defense
Someone else penned: “As a fellow cake decorator, it’s almost NEVER the kid that doesn’t like a cake.”
“They’re both cute, but I think the first one looked better,” a netizen shared.
A viewer admitted: “Tbh I didn’t know the first one was a unicorn cake…it looked like a rabbit or Easter cake.”
A cybernaut observed: “The name on the cake tells me all I need to know.”
A separate individual chimed in: “How on earth did they expect the first one to manifest with one layer, no fondant, and different colors?!”
The following day, Gregory posted a follow-up video on TikTok to explain what happened next with the customer.
He said the mom called before she came back in and asked if she would get a replacement cake as well as a refund, essentially getting the cake for free, as per Today.
You can watch the baker’s viral video below:
@trashyqweenz Sometimes, I just don’t know what to do in these situations 🙃 #serviceindustry #cakedecorating #unicorncake ♬ original sound – trashyqweenz
The bakery owner opted to give her the refund — without the cake, revealing: “Yes, I’m sensitive, and it may not have been demure of me to share that interaction, but I’m so sick of feeling guilty for sticking up for myself.”
Gregory added: “If you need an eight-inch [approximately 20 centimeters] cake laced with crushed unicorn six-year-old dreams, I’m selling it in the case for $10.”
The baker is reportedly appreciative to have all this “support” and “validation” from people he doesn’t even know.
@trashyqweenz Replying to @K.Jade #movingforward #cantpleaseeveryone #foodserviceproblems #itsfreetobekind ♬ original sound – trashyqweenz
“I’m happy I did decide to post it, though, just because people need to start treating service workers better at the end of the day,” he told Today on Tuesday (September 24).
“I’ve been in the service industry my whole life and then you threaten to trash my business publicly over something so minute?”
Gregory reportedly said that in the past, he’s had customers who were rude to him or his staff come back to apologize, but he hasn’t heard anything from this customer yet.
“I don’t know if I would welcome her back or not,” he said. Nevertheless, the baker did end up selling the replacement cake.
“I think mama was looking for a free cake,” a TikTok user speculated
