Bakery Focuses on Customer Service, Fresh Products

About a year ago, David Santapaola became part-owner of and took over many of the daily operations of the business, which included making fresh baked goods every day.

Santapaola was working at an investment bank in Manhattan when he received a call from his uncle, Mark Fichandler. He asked Santapaola if he would buy out his share of the bakery and the rest is history.

"It was a dream to own a bakery by the time I was 40," he said. "When opportunity knocks, you open the door and embrace it."

In 2002, Patrizia (Patty) Liseo–Fichandler and her husband Mark Fichandler purchased the space at 948 Cromwell Ave. to create their own bakery. Patrizia is Italian and Mark is Jewish and their goal was to meld the two cultures together to bring a new style of baked goods to Rocky Hill residents.

"They wanted to do a different spin on the Italian bakery," said part-owner David Santapaola. "It is an Italian/American bakery."

The bakery quickly became known as a destination for residents of Rocky Hill. According to Santapaola, some of the biggest sellers are the cannolis, stuffed breads, pizzas and cookies.

Strawberry-peach birthday cakes have became popular with the Indian community, according to Santapaola. The customers have been spreading the good word about the cakes and Santapaola said that "helps makes the bakery successful."

"You are getting a more diverse population," he said.

Even with the economic recession, Patty Cakes has been able to stay successful and even grow with the recent opening of a store in Glastonbury. Santapaola said the key for his business is customer service and producing "fresh, quality" products daily.

That can also create a "challenge" for him. His cannolis are made with the finest ricotta cheese and that only allows him to make a small profit margin off of them. 

“You have to take the good with the bad,” Santapaola said. He added that he and his "great staff" listen to all their customers' concerns and try to remedy them.

Over the next five years, Santapaola is hoping to grow the menu at Patty Cakes, which has a five-star rating in Patch's directory. And if one of the neighboring businesses moves out, Santapaola said he would consider expanding his business on Cromwell Avenue.

Patty Cakes is open Mondays from 5:30 a.m. to  2:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit the bakery’s website or call them at 860-529-9808.

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