Nothing Bundt Cakes co-founder launches Shook Shakery
Nothing Bundt Cakes co-founder Dena Tripp is launching Shook Shakery, a new milkshake chain blending ice cream with house-made cake. With partners Sean Tripp and Jessica Spencer, she plans four Las Vegas Valley locations starting in August 2026, funded by proceeds from selling her corporate stake.
The dessert brand that built a national following on Bundt cakes now sits beside a new chapter for one of its founders. According to USA Today, Tripp is launching the shake concept separately after leaving the corporate side of Nothing Bundt Cakes—a move that lands squarely in net worth and wealth conversations about founder exits.
Key Takeaways
- Dena Tripp is co-launching Shook Shakery with son Sean Tripp and Jessica Spencer.
- Four Nevada drive-thru shops are planned, with Henderson first in August 2026.
- Fifteen shakes priced at $9 mix ice cream with in-house cake.
- The team is spending about $12 million, financed with cash from Tripp's prior corporate sale.
- Shook Shakery is a separate business, unaffiliated with the Bundt cake chain.
Who is launching Shook Shakery after Nothing Bundt Cakes?
Tripp co-founded Nothing Bundt Cakes in Las Vegas in 1997 with Debbie Shwetz. The bakery later drew private-equity buyers, including Roark Capital in 2021, when it had 390 locations and about $470 million in sales.
She said she sold her interest in the corporate side about five years ago. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports she still owns two local Nothing Bundt Cakes stores, on Sahara Avenue and Centennial Center Boulevard.
Spencer previously worked for the bakery chain in roles from bakery operations to research and development. The partners stress Shook Shakery is its own brand and unaffiliated with the cake company.
Where are the first Shook Shakery locations opening?
Four Southern Nevada sites are on the calendar. Henderson at 3360 St Rose Parkway is due in August. Las Vegas spots follow at 6235 S. Durango Drive (September), 8705 West Deer Springs Way (mid-fall), and 4693 Blue Diamond Road (late 2026 or early 2027).
Hours are set for 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with drive-thru and walk-up service. There is no indoor seating, though outdoor seating with umbrellas is planned. Expansion beyond Nevada has not been announced.
What will customers find on the menu?
Shook Shakery's signature product is a milkshake mixed with cake—15 flavors grouped as The Classics, The Fancy, and The Fun. Cake flavors made in-house include brown sugar, chocolate, pink, and vanilla.
Shakes cost $9, with a small extra charge for add-ons. Vanilla Waves and Summer of Love are also available dairy-free. A dog treat called Tail Spin will send $1 per purchase to a local Nevada pet charity.
The partners describe a retro, Instagram-friendly vibe and say the shakes aim to be tasty without stacking every dessert into one cup, in contrast to Las Vegas's more extreme milkshake trend.
How much is Tripp investing in the milkshake rollout?
Tripp told the Review-Journal her team is spending around $12 million to build out the four locations, financed entirely with cash from the corporate sale. Three stores are ground-up builds of about 900 square feet; the Henderson site is a former Starbucks drive-thru of roughly 940 square feet.
Owning the real estate, she said, helps control leases and secure drive-thru-ready sites in a competitive market. For Tripp, the appeal is creating something new: she said she does not have to do it at this point in her life, but she wants to.