Thirty minutes before opening, Rebecca Kaufman arrived at The Cake Shop Bakery, waiting in anticipation as the line began to grow, all there for one thing: pop tarts. 

“I got in line first…and the line just kept growing and growing,” said Rebecca Kaufman, a local mom who documented her visit on TikTok. “Everyone in line was talking about the pop tarts, it was cute… we’re all these people just bonding together over pop tarts.” 

The buzz follows a viral moment when actor Ryan Gosling praised the bakery’s homemade pop tarts on “The Late Show with Seth Meyers” launching the Tallahassee bakery into national conversation. The moment also led the owner, Linda Richards, to make an appearance on the “Today” show aside her sister Donna Richards, the wardrobe supervisor for “Saturday Night Live” as well as the late show.  

For Linda Richards, the sudden spotlight may be new, but it’s rooted in years of quiet consistency. Now, as new customers line up at her doors, she says it is the support from her local community that is the most rewarding. 

“The outpouring of love from customers saying, we’re so happy for you, we’re proud of you…we appreciate you, and we’re happy you got this recognition for greatness.” Richards said. 

The now famous pop tarts started as gifts for celebrity guests and crew on “Saturday Night Live.” Richards said the idea first came after a request tied to comedian Pete Davidson. 

“Pete Davidson asked her (Donna) if I could make him peanut butter and jelly pop tarts, and I said ‘Sure’,” she said. “And then Pete and Ryan talked, and Ryan said Well my favorite is strawberry.”  

“I send them desserts for the cast and crew when they’re filming…And so I will get a list from Donna of who wants what, and then I ship it.” 

While celebrity attention sparked interest, social media is what sent it into overdrive. 

Daniella Koval, a Tallahassee influencer who collaborated with the bakery to create content before it went viral, said platforms like TikTok are changing how people discover local spots. 

“I feel like content creation is growing…my way of doing that is really looking through the small businesses and kind of really showcasing their story and what they have to offer,” she said. 

“These small businesses have been here for years,” Koval said. “So many businesses become even more successful when they have social media platforms due to it reaching to large audiences.”  

Koval said her earlier videos of the bakery gained traction on their own, but resurfaced after Gosling’s mention, bringing even more attention. 

That online momentum has translated into something more tangible, a shared experience. 

“I was like I want to be a part of this,” Kaufman said. “It’s local … you don’t want to miss out.” “This is right in my backyard, so I can go try these things that Ryan Gosling said were the best things ever…It’s so exciting.” 

For many, the appeal goes beyond celebrity co-signs. Richards believes it’s something more familiar. 

“I think that’s why it’s resonating with everybody. It’s a childhood memory. We all remember having it as a child,” said Richards. 

Even as demand grows, Richards said one thing won’t change. 

“To be able to speed up production but not change the quality of anything. Yeah. I’m willing to do it.
I’m not willing to change the quality or the ingredients,” she said. 

And in a moment driven by algorithms and attention, she says the response has been something simpler. 

“The story is joy… it makes people happy. Richards said. “And people need to be happy right now.”