Patti Stobaugh
Patti Stobaugh, owner of Conway, Arkansas-based PattiCakes Bakery, is 10 years into her “encore career” and loving every minute of it. She left the corporate accounting world knowing she wanted to do something different. Achieving her dream of giving Conway a 100 percent from-scratch bakery has been an arduous task, but she’s almost there.
Patti and her husband David own PattiCakes Bakery and Stoby’s Restaurants together. Stoby’s is an Arkansas legend, and one-time winner of World Cheese Dip Competition. “My husband is my partner – in business and life! We complement each other well… it’s just hard to set work down when we go home!” say Stobaugh.
Patti holds an accounting degree from Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas. After graduating from Lyon, Patti worked in a number of different industries before moving on to become the CFO of Arkansas One Call, Arkansas’s utility damage prevention company.
After leaving Arkansas One Call, Patti decided to open a bakery in Russellville, across the street from one of their restaurants. The Russellville bakery saw much success, and a piece of property came open behind Stoby’s in Conway. Patti then decided to open a bakery in Conway. The Conway bakery saw much success and astoundingly fast growth. After spending a year working both bakeries, Patti made the difficult decision to sell the Russellville bakery to focus on the Conway store and spend more time with her family.
David and Patti love their community and try hard to give back. Patti is the past president of Haven House, a refuge home for women who are victims of domestic abuse. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and also serves on the committee to develop Midtown Conway. In 2015, Patti was also asked to join the Board of Directors for the Retail Bakers of America. Patti and David are also active supporters of Bethlehem House in Conway.
Since then, Patti’s life has changed a great deal. Her sons have both married young women she loves. “Alex and his wife Sara made me the happiest Grammy alive 3 years ago. My grandson, Tucker, gets my afternoons 3 days a week. It’s a great time to step away from the bakery and focus on family. We’re looking forward to David and his wife Melanie adding more grandchildren to the mix, in due time. Being Grammy is my favorite job – there’s nothing like it!”
Patti is excited for the future of PattiCakes and Stoby’s. “I hope we are able to continue the phenomenal growth of the bakery, continue adding new products and making our customers the happiest in Conway.” Patti is currently working on the rebuild of Stoby’s, and is excited about marrying the classic Stoby’s that Conway loves with some new ideas.