Who’s Behind the Counter: Wami Shittu at Baker’s Park

Patch: How long have you been in business in Catonsville?

Wami Shittu: We opened Baker's Park here on Route 40 in September of 2008, and I’m still going. I’ve got plenty of gray hair, but I’m still going.

Patch: Why did you choose Catonsville? 

Shittu: I live in Catonsville, but I was intimidated about opening my bakery here because of Sugar Bakers. I looked for the right place in Pikesville, Ellicott City and Columbia, but finally, I came back here because it was home and I know a lot of people here already.

Patch: How long have you been a pastry chef?

Shittu: It began as a hobby when I was in high school in Nigeria. I took a home economics class and started baking for everybody.  Now I’ve been at it for 25 years, about 17 years as a profession.

Patch: What do you like about being in Catonsville?

Shittu: Catonsville is like a village. If my shop is in Catonsville, then I’m a part of Catonsville. I call myself the local one-stop sweet shop.

Patch: What services do you provide?

Shittu: I bake custom cakes, wedding cakes; I love making cookies.  We sell candy, cannolis; we make our own glazed nuts.

I teach classes in cake decorating, no more than five people at a time.  I hold your hand and teach you everything. It’s really fun.

We also have cupcake parties. I make the cupcakes and then the guests decorate them.

Patch: What are your favorite things about your work?

Shittu: I love a challenge; bring it on! I study cake like a book.

I love developing new products. I sit down and think, "What would a graham cracker cake taste like?"

Patch: How do you start your day?

Shittu: I’m always at the shop by 9 a.m. when we open. The first thing I do is turn on the oven and take the eggs, milk and butter out of the refrigerator, because I’m baking every day.

Patch: What is your busiest time of year?

Shittu: I’m always happy when winter is coming. Once it starts getting cold, people start thinking about cake.

Patch: What do you make that your customers like best?

Shittu: I make a chocolate bread pudding that’s popular, and there’s my chocolate cheesecake delight. It’s simple, but people love it, a lot.

Patch: What’s one of the hardest things about your work?

Shittu: I do everything: buying supplies, doing the paperwork, baking, decorating, organizing and stocking the shop. You don’t realize how much work a bakery is until you start it and you say, "Ack, what was I thinking?!"

Patch: What are you proud of?

Shittu: My family is my pride and joy. Everyone has stayed with me, and believe me, it’s a roller coaster, this business. Baking is my passion, but I have a family that supports me. All my kids have helped out at one time or another, and I put my husband to work too when we’re busy.

Patch: What's the best piece of advice that someone has given you when it comes to running a business? 

Shittu: I have a friend who had his own bakery for over 40 years. When I was about to open he came here and helped us set up. My kids call him and his wife Pappy and Grandma. He told me, “You’re going to work harder than you’ve ever worked before. Don’t give up.  You will see the outcome.”  Every time I remember him saying that, it just keeps me going.