(Sept. 10, 2015) Bakery and cupcake shop Miss Patti Cake broke hearts when the three-year-old business left Snow Hill last month, but the early response at the new location in Ocean Pines is about as sweet as the frosting.
The new location at 11021 Nicholas Lane officially opened on Aug. 25.
“We really loved Snow Hill, but the buildings down there needed a lot of repairs and we didn’t anticipate that when we first moved in,” owner Patti McDermott said. “It wasn’t something we wanted to keep taking on every year.”
One of the primary problems at the old location was the continuously faulty air conditioning.
“It was just way too hot in there,” McDermott said. “When you have cakes, you don’t want that.
“When we left, we had to get out quick, because we have orders booked through next year at weddings and things like that,” she added. “We needed a space to go into, but the town is looking to fix all the older buildings down there just so it doesn’t happen to someone again. At least we started something.”
The new location, McDermott said, has slightly less space, but is better laid out to suit her needs. It also didn’t hurt that the majority of her customers came from the Ocean City, Ocean Pines and Berlin area, meaning the move allows them to drive a few less miles to grab their favorite baked goods.
“It’s also closer to most of our venues,” she said. “We’re constantly in Ocean City or at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club. And if we’re not actually closer, we’re equidistant.
“When we thought we might rent this space, we started calling our customers and letting them know we might be moving, and I would say 90 percent of them were really, really happy about that,” McDermott added. “It worked out.”
Custom wedding cakes make up the majority of the shop’s business. McDermott said the general rule of thumb is two-to-three months in advance for larger cake orders, especially during May, June, September and October – the busiest wedding months of the year.
Aside from that, McDermott said the bakery also covers “pretty much everything,” from cupcakes by the dozen to made-to-order birthday cakes, where no order is too complex.
“We’re probably one of the only bakeries in the area that can do sculpted stuff,” she said. “Today I have two sculpted cars to work on, and a lot of places aren’t able to do that. It’s a fun thing.”
While McDermott did not rule out a possible expansion in the future, for now she’s happy in Ocean Pines, doing more of the work that put the shop on the map.
“I originally wanted to be in this area – that was sort of a goal in my mind, so right now I’m just happy to have reached that goal,” she said. “I don’t know if we’re eventually going to have another location, but I would probably like just to be able to reach the audience that’s out here now that didn’t know we were even in Snow Hill.
“People have been really creative with their ideas so far even with the past week we’ve been open,” McDermott added. “That’s really our goal – to do more of the custom work.”
For more information, call 410-641-7000 or visit www.misspatticake.com.
The new location at 11021 Nicholas Lane officially opened on Aug. 25.
“We really loved Snow Hill, but the buildings down there needed a lot of repairs and we didn’t anticipate that when we first moved in,” owner Patti McDermott said. “It wasn’t something we wanted to keep taking on every year.”
One of the primary problems at the old location was the continuously faulty air conditioning.
“It was just way too hot in there,” McDermott said. “When you have cakes, you don’t want that.
“When we left, we had to get out quick, because we have orders booked through next year at weddings and things like that,” she added. “We needed a space to go into, but the town is looking to fix all the older buildings down there just so it doesn’t happen to someone again. At least we started something.”
The new location, McDermott said, has slightly less space, but is better laid out to suit her needs. It also didn’t hurt that the majority of her customers came from the Ocean City, Ocean Pines and Berlin area, meaning the move allows them to drive a few less miles to grab their favorite baked goods.
“It’s also closer to most of our venues,” she said. “We’re constantly in Ocean City or at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club. And if we’re not actually closer, we’re equidistant.
“When we thought we might rent this space, we started calling our customers and letting them know we might be moving, and I would say 90 percent of them were really, really happy about that,” McDermott added. “It worked out.”
Custom wedding cakes make up the majority of the shop’s business. McDermott said the general rule of thumb is two-to-three months in advance for larger cake orders, especially during May, June, September and October – the busiest wedding months of the year.
Aside from that, McDermott said the bakery also covers “pretty much everything,” from cupcakes by the dozen to made-to-order birthday cakes, where no order is too complex.
“We’re probably one of the only bakeries in the area that can do sculpted stuff,” she said. “Today I have two sculpted cars to work on, and a lot of places aren’t able to do that. It’s a fun thing.”
While McDermott did not rule out a possible expansion in the future, for now she’s happy in Ocean Pines, doing more of the work that put the shop on the map.
“I originally wanted to be in this area – that was sort of a goal in my mind, so right now I’m just happy to have reached that goal,” she said. “I don’t know if we’re eventually going to have another location, but I would probably like just to be able to reach the audience that’s out here now that didn’t know we were even in Snow Hill.
“People have been really creative with their ideas so far even with the past week we’ve been open,” McDermott added. “That’s really our goal – to do more of the custom work.”
For more information, call 410-641-7000 or visit www.misspatticake.com.