A long-standing Clintonville gem has found a new home. But fear not, it’s staying in the neighborhood.
Pattycake Bakery will vacate its storefront of the last 16 years and head just over a mile north to a new, larger home at 3870 N. High St. The bakery will purchase the former home of Flowers & Bread, which saw major changes to its business model due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have just really outgrown the space,” Pattycake Co-Owner Molly Shea says of their current location at 3009 N. High St.
Coming in at a compact 650 square feet, not only are team members physically bumping into each other in the kitchen (well, before COVID), but the small square footage has kept the business from meeting all the demand for its vegan baked goods.
Space was part of the equation, but a desire to own their building has also fueled the search that Shea says has spanned nearly a decade. She says while their current landlord has been great, they wanted to avoid any potential changes another owner could impose and solidify ownership for themselves.
Operating as a co-op, Pattycake Bakery currently has eight co-owners, many of whom were familiar with the Flowers & Bread space. Having eight opinions to weigh when making major decisions, Shea says it was actually a relatively quick ‘yes’ to move on the Flowers & Bread space.
At 2,860 plus square feet, it’s four times the square footage of their old place. Recently renovated, there’s less work to be done to make the building Pattycake-ready (plus, some of the existing equipment is included in the sale). And, it sports simple pleasures, like windows in every room.
Shea says Pattycake is excited to stay in Clintonville close to existing customers and a neighborhood they know. When searching for their new home, the co-owners were also constantly weighing their impact on a neighborhood. When looking in other areas, the team considered factors like if they would be a force of gentrification in the area. Staying in the neighborhood isn’t creating any undue consequences.
Now that they have a new, larger space, Pattycake can put the daydreams of the last several years into action.
“We have a lot to figure out,” Shea says, but the bakery plans to pull things together quickly and transition to the new space by mid-to-late summer.
Off the bat, Pattycake will have more space for production – baking, icing, packing, storing, etc. With different kitchen areas, Shea says they will also have the ability to do some different things and keep things more separate as it makes sense.
And, yes, more space does mean the potential for more treats. It won’t happen right away, but Pattycake does plan to expand their offerings beyond the current baked goods – territory that could take them into more meals and not just sweets. But, at the start, guests will find the Pattycake treats they know and love.
At its current home, Pattycake has had to make several changes during the pandemic. Shea says they’ve adjusted their staffing and schedule to create some kind of social distancing, and moved everything to contactless pick-up and delivery.
In the new space, Pattycake hopes to welcome guests back into the bakery, but will continue to offer online shopping options for those who prefer it or just aren’t ready for indoor action.
For that reason, Shea is also excited about Flowers & Bread’s ample outdoor seating. As the world moves to something resembling normalcy as the pandemic curbs, guests can safely enjoy their treats on the patio, and it’s great space to have for the future. (If a year like 2020 happened once, it can happen again.)
Pattycake’s current location will close before the new spot opens. Shea says to expect a little bit of closure time in between to tackle the logistical challenge of moving from one building to another.
Hours are among the details still be finalized, but will likely initially be similar to the current more limited schedule. But, Shea says they hope to ramp back up to seven days a week.
Pattycake Bakery is currently open for contactless curbside pick-up and delivery from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, visit pattycakebakery.com.
