WATCH: This Is What Business Looks Like for Masterpiece Cake Shop After Supreme Court Victory
Jack Phillips’, the soft-spoken, kind-hearted baker and owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop who sees a cake as a blank canvas and serves all customers in his shop, has been through the ringer over the last six years.
The talented cake artist experienced a crippling blow to his business after a homosexual couple, Dave Mullins and Charlie Craig, reported him to the Colorado Human Rights Commission after Phillips’ politely explained they were welcome to buy anything in the shop, but he could not fulfill their request for a custom wedding cake due to his devout Christian faith.
The Colorado Human Rights Commission found him guilty of violating the state’s anti-discrimination laws, which is what the Supreme Court finally overturned on June 4th, finding that the Commission had shown extreme hostility towards his faith.
Now, he recently told The Christian Post, business is booming at the Masterpiece Cakeshop where he says he has seen business triple since his Supreme Court victory.
“We have had so many people coming by to support us as the case has gone on, and there has been an outpouring of love and support since the decision came down. The state’s targeting of my beliefs cost me 40 percent of my business and forced me from 10 employees down to four. But we’re so happy to be busy doing what we do best at our shop,” he says.
“We’re also eager to start designing custom wedding cakes again,” he adds.
“A cake is a canvas, and I’m really looking forward to creating beautiful art that celebrates such a special day.”
The Alliance Defending Freedom, who defending Phillips at the Supreme Court, says that over 400 people lined up at the shop to celebrate the ruling. Some angry LGBT protesters were present as well, but Phillips was kind enough to offer them cookies, which he says most politely refused (some not-so-politely).
Overall, though, he says he’s seen a tremendous amount of support from both sides of the aisle.
“Since we won, we’ve seen far more support than negativity. Even people who don’t believe what I do about marriage, including many who identify as LGBT, have been so encouraging,” he says.
“Tolerance is a two-way street. If we want freedom for ourselves, we have to extend it to those with whom we disagree. Most people get that.”