Jenny Alton embarks on a sweet second act!
Buckhead resident Jenny Alton was tired of bringing the same hostess gifts to every dinner party: candles and wine, wine and candles. She left corporate America where she worked in marketing and manufacturing for the carpet industry for more than 20 years, and she was ready to get creative. She thought back to her South Georgia roots and her grandmothers who always seemed to be baking.
“I enjoy the sweeter side of life,” she says. “I saw a need in the market for beautifully wrapped, delicious pound cakes.”
She teamed up with her uncle, Steve Rogers (who has “an incredible eye for presentation and endless energy”) to launch The Pound in early 2026. He’s the chief baker, while Alton focuses on marketing, aesthetically wrapping the cakes and scaling the business.
The 9-inch cakes cost $65 to $95, depending on the flavor, and feed 10 to 12. Bite-sized “Personal Pounds” are available at two for $20 as well. Cakes can be delivered or picked up from Alton’s home in Buckhead, and nationwide shipping will soon be available.
“Sometimes I just pinch myself. This is so much fun and so different from what I did before,” Alton says.
How did you learn to bake?
Both of my grandmothers practically lived in their kitchens, and their counters were lined with baked goods. I picked up skills that would help me down the road. Sharing and entertaining were really ingrained in me.
Three years ago, I started making sourdough. It taught me about measurements and being precise in baking. From there, cakes came easily. I was drawn to the shape of the bundt. I began with a classic: vanilla pound cake, then lemon, our top seller. My husband loves chocolate. Our version leans more toward the fudgy side.
What makes your cakes stand out?
They come with what we call “Pound Wisdom,” a handwritten note on every box. It is to our cakes what a fortune cookie is to a Chinese meal. They can be funny, cheeky or heartfelt. For a golf customer, I wrote, “I hope you hit them straight and your putts sink. Enjoy the cake.” For a stylist’s birthday, I wrote, “Great style begins in your room. Great cake begins in this box.” I wanted something people could look forward to.
What has surprised you in building this business?
How emotional people get when they receive our cakes! I didn’t realize how many memories it would unlock for people. A woman from Napa Valley was flying through Atlanta. She reached out to me close to midnight, saying she had a pound cake at her wedding and couldn’t get anything like it near her. I met her with some Personal Pounds the next morning. Pound cake has a way of bringing people together.
What do you do for fun?
I love to play tennis and shop. Travel is my biggest passion. I find a lot of recipe inspiration from it. I try to take a cooking class wherever I go. I love Italy. Portofino is the icing on the cake. I love being on the water in the Caribbean, especially St. Barths. I like Dubai, London and Paris. I also get involved with charity any chance I get.
What kind of volunteer work do you do?
I’m on the nsoro Educational Foundation’s Recipients Committee that helps foster children go to college. I chaired the Latin Fever Ball for the Latin American Association. My other passion is our veterans. My husband was a Marine; my grandfather was in the military. We owe our freedom and everything we have to our veterans. I chair the Veterans Empowerment Organization’s annual gala and bring cakes to veterans whenever I can.
THE POUND
423.364.2006
thepoundcakes.net
@__thepound
