Clients and friends of the agency will receive a sweet surprise (spoiler alert) this week when king cakes, the traditional sugary treat of Mardi Gras, are delivered to their offices.

Sending king cakes during carnival season is a Peter Mayer tradition started by Mark and Josh back in the early ‘90s as a unique way to communicate with our few out-of-town clients that we would be closed on Mardi Gras day. Since Fat Tuesday is dictated by Easter (always 40 days before), it’s one of those holidays that falls on a different day every year. So the agency chose a memorable and tasty way to let out-of-state clients, partners and friends know that we would indeed be closed on a seemingly random Tuesday.

With the Krewe of Zulu rolling through downtown at 8am, just a block from the Peter Mayer headquarters, getting to the office on Mardi Gras day is impossible by anything but foot. So, like our state, we’ve declared Mardi Gras an official holiday and our team spends the day celebrating Fat Tuesday around the city with family and friends.

Now that our agency has a much larger regional and national footprint, what started off as a short list has grown to nearly 200 king cakes being sent to offices in almost every state. And although it also serves as a necessary business reminder (we’re closed, don’t call!), we also love the idea of exporting a small piece of our culture and celebrating Mardi Gras with our friends and partners nationwide.

This year’s confections were baked by Haydel’s Bakery, which took home the People’s Choice Award at this year’s inaugural King Cake Festival. For more information and the history of Mardi Gras and king cakes, click here.