Local baker and small business owner Heather Tocco visited Oakland University to share her story with students.
Heather Tocco, who owns Home Bakery in Downtown Rochester, started decorating cakes as a hobby but quickly found a natural aptitude. She started off by just baking cakes for family and friends, but quickly realized she had found her passion. Six months after first testing her skills, she bought Home Bakery, which at the time was up for sale and in need of a major rework. As she made the business her own, she started creating detailed window displays out of cake.
It was not until January 2025 that Tocco’s displays would truly be appreciated. In the midst of NFL playoffs, she and her team made a life-size cake of Amon-Ra St. Brown’s headstand touchdown celebration. The cake became an overnight sensation and even reached St. Brown’s, as well as the rest of the Detroit Lions. Fans came from all over to see this work of Detroit pride and experience Home Bakery’s decadent sweets. The cake made national headlines, was featured on ESPN and attracted visitors from across the Tri-County area. Even Michigan governor, Gretchen Whitmer, visited the viral display.
Upon achieving fame status, Tocco was enchanted by the world of public relations — something she had never fully experienced. As her story spread from journalist to journalist, she learned the true art of storytelling. Heather was given the opportunity to engage with newspaper articles, radio shows, social media and television interviews. This experience was overwhelming for her, but nonetheless she did not back down.
Today, Home Bakery is still the talk of the town after it put Rochester on the map. Tocco plans to continue this momentum and local community by creating more window displays in the coming months. She also intends to make another display for the Detroit Lions next season.
On March 20, OU associate professor of public relations Chiaoning Su invited Heather Tocco to speak to OU’s Introduction to Public Relations class and share her experience in the media spotlight. She discussed how this experience benefited her business beyond the 50% sales increase Home Bakery saw in January. Tocco knew that something this big would allow her to offer her employees consistent hours and even health benefits during the slow winter months.
When talking about the team effort at the Home Bakery, Tocco said, “It’s about everyone in those walls … I am not me without them.” She expressed her deepest gratitude for those who she works alongside, attributing her success to everyone who has a hand on the business.
Oakland students responded by sharing practical ways Home Bakery can maximize business through various PR tactics. Students suggested using social media, attending community events and even doing a suggestion box for future window displays. Heather even brought the class kronuts — croissant-donuts that are one of the business’s best sellers. Both Tocco and students left class excited about the mutual exchange of insight that occurred.
Home Bakery is located on Main Street in downtown Rochester, just a few miles from campus. They can be found on Instagram at @homebakeryroch.
