It Takes the Cake

Cake shop on the rise in Tinley Park under the guidance of sisters

By Margaret Rice, Staff writer

Wedding season is starting anew, and happy couples are shopping for dresses, rings, cakes and all things matrimonial.

And sisters Becky Palermo and Beth Fahey at Creative Cakes in Tinley Park are ready for the hectic season.

In 1992, Palermo started working at Creative Cakes, which then was on 159th Street and owned by Debbie and Demetrios Polimenakos, who launched the operation in 1989.

"I had been working as a counter girl at a cake shop in Indiana," Palermo said. "When (my boss) saw my neat handwriting and that I was able to match colors, they trained me in cake decorating."

She was given the job at Creative Cakes the day she walked into the shop.

"Ten years later, my sister and I bought the shop," Palermo said.

The pair brought a modern approach to the business, adding a Web site and credit card capabilities.

Fahey returned to the area after working in Hollywood as a camera assistant.

"When you work in movies, that's really a 14-hour day, and my husband was working in movies, too. Someone needed to be home with the kids," she said.

She added that social perceptions were another reason she left.

"I was not comfortable with the materialism and concentration on the way you look," Fahey said.

Palermo added, "We grew up in the area, and she knew she wanted to raise her children in Illinois."

While Fahey handles a lot of the icing, Palermo said the two sisters strike a good balance with the business.

"She does the books and handles the Web site," Palermo said.

Creative Cakes moved to 16649 Oak Park Ave. - a shop Palermo said is three times bigger than the one they were in previously.

But it's becoming too small as well because Creative Cakes is growing by about 100 percent every year, Fahey

"We're already starting to feel the strain," said.Palermo said.

According to Palermo, the most rewarding thing about owning the shop is the quality of the cakes.

"We make everything from scratch. The butter cream is a European recipe, and we are known for it," she said. "You just can't beat cakes from scratch."

She added that the group at Creative Cakes embraces challenges.

"The only thing that really discourages us are time constraints," Palermo said.

Fahey said the most rewarding thing for her is the collaboration.

"It's like a movie set; everything is collaborative. Plus, we're not only making something you can eat - it's a piece of art," she said.

Palermo said the shop does 75 percent of its business in the six months between Easter and Sweetest Day.

Creative Cakes also does party cakes for birthdays, christenings, graduations or other special events.

Palermo said party cakes and wedding cakes each make up about half of the business.

"The biggest challenge is dealing with the growing pains and keeping everyone happy while limiting the number of people we have to turn away," she said.