Family business is a piece of cake
Sonoma Valley is full of history, but one tidbit usually overlooked is that it’s home to the oldest pool supply store in Northern California. Transform half the space into a cake decorating shop, and you’ve really got something unique.
Pool Mart opened at 16721l Highway 12, north of Aqua Caliente Road, in 1952. Otto Burgmeier was a painter and builder on the Peninsula when he got a tip from a pool specialist: Sonoma is the place to be. So he moved his family, including young Lillian and her three sisters, built a house and retail space, and opened the pool shop. The girls worked after school and during the summer; eventually, Lillian and her husband Ray bought the business.
Over the years Pool Mart has sold spas, patio furniture and above-ground pools, but has settled into selling supplies and offering pool cleaning service. Treatments have become more sophisticated over the years, including eco-friendly options, but the basics remain the same: balancing, pH, alkalinity and calcium.
If you bring in a sample, the Pool Mart team can run quick analysis, and suggest the cure. And they make house calls. A plan to winterize your pool is always a good idea. “Colder water means less chemicals, but don’t let it go,” advises Lillian, shown above with Teresa Castanon, at left, who has worked with her for 16 years.
As the pool business grew, Lillian, a talented baker and cake decorator, decided to make her hobby part of the business. At first, the pans, molds and decorating supplies took up a small corner of the store. Now they take up at least half the space, with and add-on for classes. Thus the full business name, Pool Mart/Cake Corner.
Lillian teaches small groups the art of decorating, and offers kid-friendly classes for gingerbread houses, sugar eggs and other seasonal treats.
It’s always fun when families come in for the holiday classes, she says, in what has become a tradition for the adults and kids alike. With all frosting and candy around, the kids just it eat it up. “Get messy,” she says. “That’s what the tablecloths are for.”
The store is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 707. 996.6213.
