Waldemar Sebastian Uhl was a hard act to follow.
As a certified master pastry chef, Wally Uhl owned and operated Wally’s Pastry Shop in the Northland for over 54 years before his wife Martha, and his son, Manfred—also a certified master pastry chef—took over the business after Wally’s passing in 2016. Together the family built a rock-solid reputation for exquisite wholesale cakes and high-quality, custom European desserts.
A native of a small town outside Munich, Germany, Wally began his culinary journey at his father’s pastry shop. After years of training and working across Europe, he took a pastry job at the Sherman Hotel in Chicago. His career led him to Kansas City in 1960 when TWA recruited him to craft pastries for its Ambassador and overseas flights. Eventually, he decided to branch out on his own, launching Wally’s Pastry Shop from the basement of his home in 1962.
Over the decades, Wally’s Pastry Shop earned a devoted clientele, including celebrities. His famous blackout chocolate cakes were shipped to Frank Sinatra, and his intricate sugar sculptures were commissioned for the White House under multiple administrations, including Truman, Kennedy, and Reagan.
Locally, Wally’s creations became a part of life’s biggest celebrations—wedding and anniversary cakes, custom birthday cakes, petite fours, crème puff swans, French napoleons, and more—all from a humble white building off North Oak Trafficway.
Though the bakery’s retail presence evolved over the years, at times shifting solely to wholesale and custom orders, a major renovation in 2000 combined two buildings into one, allowing the shop to reopen with Martha at the pastry counter, welcoming the public once again.
After Martha’s passing in 2021, Manfred faced a difficult decision about the future of Wally’s. Determined to preserve his family’s legacy but aware he couldn’t do it alone, he turned to Facebook, posting an open call for someone to take over the business. He offered not just ownership but mentorship—four years of hands-on training to pass down the recipes (many in German) and techniques that had made Wally’s a Kansas City institution.
Enter Angela Adelaide Rose—who simply goes by Rose. One day, she walked into Wally’s Pastry Shop, inquiring about the opportunity. When Manfred emerged from the back and she introduced herself, he offered her the position on the spot. His reason? His mother, Martha, had always believed roses were a sign of good luck. Her nickname had sealed the deal.
Rose had been a self-taught cake decorator for years, starting with birthday cakes for her children before turning her passion into a career. She honed her craft at the bakery department of a local Price Chopper. Then in 2017, she decided to try something new, diving into the art of Italian gelato. After persuading a Sicilian-trained gelato maker to mentor her, she dreamed of owning a seasonal gelato truck.
Instead, fate had other plans. Wally’s Pastry Shop provided the perfect opportunity to blend her cake-decorating expertise with Manfred’s European recipes. In addition to continuing Wally’s legacy, she introduced her own gelato line, DellaRose Gelato, featuring flavors like mocha brownie, pistachio mascarpone, white chocolate cherry rose, strawberry sorbetto, limoncello, and even vegan options.
Recognizing she couldn’t run Wally’s alone, Rose created a program to train women in cake decorating and pastry-making — offering opportunities to those who might struggle with traditional employment. One team member has a special-needs child and requires flexible hours, while another is rebuilding financially after a divorce. Wally’s has become a safe haven where these women can develop a craft, earn a living, and thrive.
“I have a heart for helping women learn a skill that empowers them,” Rose says. “We teach them the basics, and they work with us at the shop. If they build their own wholesale accounts, they can eventually run their own business under Wally’s roof. It’s about teaching independence.”
Manfred remains an integral part of the business, offering his expertise to Rose and her team. “These women would never have access to a certified master pastry chef like Manfred,” she says, grateful for his continued help.
Looking to the future, Rose envisions Wally’s evolving into a co-op model, where the team shares ownership and decision-making. “We’re learning every day. At-home baking is one thing, but professional baking is about speed, efficiency, and scaling up. It’s about working smarter, not harder.”
Supporting her in this journey is her fiancé, Carl Salucci, who ensures she never faces this challenge alone. “When I told him I wanted to take over Wally’s, he said he wouldn’t let me fail,” says Rose. True to his word, he’s often the one answering the phone and taking orders.
For those eager to indulge in Wally’s timeless treats, custom orders can be placed seven days a week for pick-up. The retail counter is open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. selling petit fours, cookies, cupcakes and gelato and more.
“I wish we could open more often, but for now, my focus is on building our wholesale business,” Rose explains. “That’s what keeps the lights on.”
She also has big dreams for Wally’s future: a pastry museum showcasing Wally’s original tools and recipe books, hands-on classes like petit four decorating workshops, and even cake kits for fans who no longer live in Kansas City.
“Your taste buds are tied to your memories,” Rose reflects. “I want to help people relive those sweet moments from Wally’s Pastry Shop.”
Every morning, as she walks into the bakery, she repeats a simple mantra: “I get to do this, and I got this.”
“Your taste buds are tied to your memories."