Samuels announces opening of King Cake Hub
Will Samuels, owner of King Cake Hub by Pizza Nola announced today that the new retail King Cake shop will be based at the Mystère Mansion, home of the Mortuary Haunted House, at 4800 Canal St in Mid-City.
Will Samuels, whose Pizza Nola company has organized King Cake Hub in the Mystere Haunted Manion in Mid-City. (Photo by Alan Smason)
“We are so excited to partner with one of New Orleans’ iconic historical institutions to sell one of the city’s most iconic treats,” said Samuels. He continued, “Folks come from around the world to experience this legendary haunted mansion and innovative escape rooms and it is an honor to be sharing the space with this Mid-City landmark.”
A kickoff of sales will commence after 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 6, the date otherwise known as Twelfth Night and the traditional beginning of the Carnival Season. Benny Grunch and the Bunch and the Panorama Jazz Band will provide musical accompaniment. Miss Louisiana Mardi Gras, Kaylee Faulk, will also be on hand to greet king cake revelers.
The King Cake Hub will feature over 28 flavors of king cakes from around New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana’s favorite bakeries including serving as the exclusive Orleans Parish outlet for the legendary King of King Cakes, Gambino’s Bakery (which is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2019). The King Cake Hub will also be the exclusive New Orleans distributor for Cannata’s King Cakes (based out of Houma and Morgan City) and will carry king cakes from such area favorites as Hi-Do Bakery, Bywater Bakery and Girls Gone Vegan. The King cake Hub will also feature its own creation: the Epiphany King Cake, developed in partnership with Gambino’s Bakery and described as “a classic dough honoring 70 years of Carnival tradition topped with your new favorite cream cheese icing.”
Samuels also announced a new partnership with the Culinary Arts program at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA).
Samuels at the Mortuary. (Photo by Alan Smason)
“NOCCA has one of the city’s most creative King Cakes and we look forward to the opportunity to help support their program,” said Samuels. NOCCA’s Satsuma Almond King Cake is described by the school as “a flaky puff pastry with rich almond paste and cream cheese filled with a bright, refreshing, citrus filling using satsumas supplied by our partners at Press Street Gardens.”
The king cake will be available daily at the King Cake Hub, although pre-ordering from KingCakeHub.com is recommended.
Before he closed his popular West Harrison Avenue location in Lakeview, Samuels had done a respectable side business by selling king cakes there during Carnival season. This included the West Bank’s extremely popular Dong Phuong king cakes, who are not participating in the King Cake Hub with Samuels.
