Get All Access for $5/mo

Costco Hilariously Messes Up Birthday Cake Design: 'This Should Be Framed' A Costco customer tried to draw a diagram to help bakery employees understand the cake design he wanted, but it didn't work out as planned.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ordering a custom cake for a special event can be a frightening feat when you're hoping the design will come out as you have envisioned. And now, one man is learning the hard way that it doesn't matter how much direction you give, the final product may not be what you asked for.

Reddit user Stephen Walker posted a hilarious photo set that shows what happened when he tried to order a plain cake with red piping on the border from the popular membership chain Costco for his daughter's birthday.

In the post that's been upvoted over 110,000 times, one photo of the cake order form shows that Walker selected a half-sheet, white cake with no design or writing. He told employees to flip the sheet over to see a diagram of what he wanted the final product to look like.

Costco will give you exactly what you know you didn't need.
by u/FlipDemStocks in funny

On the back of the sheet, Walker drew a 3D diagram of a cake with red borders, noting that his only request for customization was red frosting along the perimeter of the top half of the cake and the bottom, not the sides.

"No writing/no designs," he wrote to clarify.

When Walker received his cake, he was confused to find a plain white cake with his scribble diagram emblazoned on the top.

"I picked it up Saturday morning and I was in a time crunch," he told TODAY, noting that the cashier encouraged him to go tell the bakery to remedy the mistake. "We were in a hurry, so I was like, 'Well, I'll just scrape it off.'"

Reddit users were in stitches over Walker's misfortune.

"This should be framed," one wrote.

"I laughed so hard I nearly woke up my baby," another said.

Others pointed out that perhaps the company included the drawing because Walker was asking for something that was not possible.

"No. The cakes are already made. What [Walker] asked for could not have been done," one claimed. "The customization option only has to do with what goes on the top of the cake, and the employee fulfilled the request the best they could within the realm of their power."

In the words of Walker himself, it looks like sometimes, "Costco will give you exactly what you know you didn't need."

Costco has not yet commented on the incident nor responded to Entrepreneur's request for comment.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Living

70% of Small Business Owners Experience Monthly Burnout. Follow These 3 Rules to Avoid the Same Fate.

Here are three guidelines to help entrepreneurs achieve balance, growth and success in both their professional and personal endeavors.

Franchise

Kick-Start Your Small Business With These Cost Effective Strategies

Starting a small business is an exciting adventure, brimming with both opportunities and challenges. A key to success is effectively managing costs from the outset.