[SWEET!] The Baking Social Secures First Site for Baking School and Bakery

The Baking Social, the new experiential baking concept from Shane Quillin of Sugar Shane's, has found its first location!  Newly installed "coming soon" signage confirms that the first location for the new concept will be off Cobb Parkway near The Battery Atlanta and Truist Park.  

Specifically, the new baking business will be located in a roughly 3,600 square foot space in the street level of the Ellison Parkview apartments at 2801 Windy Ridge Parkway.  The Baking Social was first publicly revealed this past December when at the time, the first location was to have opened in early 2026.  As with so many things in business and planning these days, things did not go according to plan.  The Baking Social is now slated to open this coming fall, potentially as soon as mid-September, pending permitting.  

Quillin, a native of Nashville, launched Sugar Shane's in March 2020, just ahead of the pandemic.  Despite the challenges he and so many other small food businesses faced, he stuck to it and grew his small home-based business to a growing chain of three locations around metro Atlanta including those in Midtown, Sandy Springs, and Kennesaw, as well as availability in Truist Park.  He also won Dessert Wars in 2021.  

Having expanded the Sugar Shane's menu from just two cookies to a robust offering that now includes blondies, brownies, breads, cinnamon rolls, and other specialty desserts, Quillin saw an opportunity to expand his business, too.  

This past December, Quillin announced that he had partnered with Founders Row, a then newly launched venture studio focused on building and backing next-generation experiential consumer brands. The firm was launched by serial entrepreneur Jamie Weeks this past fall after decades of operating and scaling multi-unit consumer brands. Weeks, formerly the largest Orangetheory Fitness franchisee and the founder of Sweathouz (SWTHZ), created Founders Row to fill a gap he saw in the early-stage landscape. Some founders have great ideas and incredible creative instincts, but lack the operational structure, financial discipline, and brand architecture required to grow.  Founders Row aims to bridge that gap.  

In preparation for the debut of his new concept, Quillin traveled the country taking classes at other baking schools and bakeries to learn best practices and explore creative opportunities for The Baking Social.  

The Baking Social will offer guests the opportunity to learn and bake Quillin's award-winning recipes in a hands-on class setting. In addition to classes, The Baking Social will feature seasonal grab-and-go items and will be open to the public without requiring an advance booking. Some offerings will be entirely new, never before released under the Sugar Shane's brand, and available through classes or as grab-and-go items. 

The Baking Social is described as an elevated and casual baking-class concept designed for the baker and creator inside all of us, or in other words, "A social club disguised as a kitchen & bakery."  

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"The Baking Social introduces a modern take on the baking experience. From seasonal workshops to Saturday morning cinnamon roll sessions, the brand is built to make baking fun, social, and accessible. It's not about perfect technique or culinary precision; it's about joy, creativity, and the simple satisfaction of making something from scratch."  

Following its debut in Atlanta, a multi-state expansion is planned thereafter.  

Are you excited for the opening of the first location of The Baking Social in Atlanta?  What is your favorite baked good?  Where else would you like to see The Baking Social open?

Please share your thoughts below.