Oakmont Bakery Baked A Distinct Niche For Itself in Oakmont, Pennsylvania

As a supporter and advocate for entrepreneurs and small business owners it is a real treat to find small businesses that not only excel in their niche, but also appeal to my own purchasing needs or desires. That is what I found at Oakmont Bakery located in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

If studying Oakmont Bakery from the perspective of evaluating a small business’s performance and success, you will find a lot of things done very well. The following profile demonstrates many excellent business practices other small business owners can benefit from. From a customer’s perspective, however, I can only warn you that once you see and taste what is going on in there you will be leaving with a lot more than a loaf of pumpernickel.

Oakmont Bakery’s staff

One thing you will notice at Oakmont Bakery is that there is a constant stream of customers coming and going. The bakery does an excellent job of keeping enough people available to serve customers. They are in uniforms and easily identifiable. Like Julia, the girl who sold me my cupcake "research" seen above, the staff is consistently polite; they always appear to be working purposefully and efficiently.

Oakmont Bakery’s product selection

Oakmont Bakery has many products that are unique and memorable. For example, while at its’ core a cupcake is a small cake in a paper cup and covered with icing, Oakmont Bakery’s cupcakes are personalities! Check out the Dr. Jekyll, the Mr. Hyde, and the Godfather cupcakes, for example.

Quality at Oakmont Bakery

As far as quality is concerned you will not find any imperfection with the products they sell. Each treat and baked good is a delicious experience. If you put put any of their products up against comparable products from competitors you see, taste, and smell a distinct difference. They truly stand out in product quality.

Getting the word out

Word of mouth – you just can’t help but tell your friends and neighborhoods how good the treats are at Oakmont Bakery.

Website – here is one area where many small business miss the boat. You must have a website today. Oakmont Bakery does well here. There website promotes their unique products and their history.

Holiday advertising – social holidays are peak times for businesses in the catering and specialty foods industry. Advertisements for Oakmont Bakery can typically be heard on the radio during those times.

Location, Location, Location

Oakmont itself is an ideal location for a small, higher end business like Oakmont Bakery. Allegheny Avenue and Allegheny River Boulevard run parallel to each other through Oakmont and host many specialty interest shops and restaurants giving it an out of the way and quaint feeling. The entire town enhances the uniqueness of Oakmont Bakery.

Additionally, the main bakery is housed in a separate building directly across the parking lot from the bakery’s showroom. This allows high volume production to occur off site and eliminates the need for traveling with goods. It can also reduce the heat in bakery showroom; thus extending the shelf life of more intricate and delicate confections.

A key Oakmont Bakery advantage.

Oakmont Bakery operates out of one location and has an intensely loyal customer base. There is no doubt that once you have experienced Oakmont Bakery you will be back. That fact that Oakmont Bakery is not a chain or franchise and is housed in a unique neighborhood gives it an air of exclusivity. Experiencing the location, sights, and smells convinces you that you are somewhere special.

Customers decide

Go try one of Oakmont Bakery’s almond tortes or the Oakmonter bar and you will become a regular customer. Oakmont Bakery’s excellence in service and quality make them stand out and have created a strong stream of repeat, new, and referred business.

Do you have a small business success story? I would love to hear from you. Email your story to mike@bowmansmoneycollege.com and you may be featured in this weekly column!