Pastries A-La-Carte: “A Taste of Artistry”

Kathy Battis is the owner of Pastries A-La Carte, a beloved family-owned bakery that began in her home kitchen and grew into a thriving storefront in 2004. Inspired by a rich baking legacy dating back to her great-grandmother Ada Rennie, Kathy continues the tradition with an extensive menu of pastries, cakes, cookies, and more—serving both local favorites and high-profile clients across the Pittsburgh region. DeliveryRank offers you an exclusive interview.

Managing a diverse product line that includes specialty cakes, cookies, gluten-free items, and unique offerings requires careful attention to detail. How do you ensure consistency and quality across such a wide range of baked goods?

We use a variety of recipes, and with a team of about eight bakers, each person takes responsibility for a specific one. This approach helps ensure consistency across all our products. I’m continually checking in and monitoring the process to maintain that consistent quality we’re known for.

Establishing partnerships with well-known organizations can significantly impact a business’s growth and reputation. Can you share how such partnerships came about and how they have influenced your operations and standing within the community?

The partnership with the Penguins began when their chefs came across my website and were impressed by what they saw. We organized a tasting for the chefs who manage the suites and clubs at the arena, and from there, the collaboration was born. We also pay a partnership fee as part of the arrangement.

Interestingly, many of those chefs later moved on to work at PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium, and that's how our pastries found their way there as well. The connections continued to grow organically—local hospitals, being nearby, had staff who became regular customers. Over time, their chefs reached out to us, too. The same happened with places like LeMont, The Priory, Fifth Avenue Mansion, and Parkhurst Dining. Often, chefs would encounter our products at Acrisure, enjoy the taste, and contact us for a formal tasting. That's how many of our partnerships have come to be—through authentic experiences and word-of-mouth among culinary professionals.

Certain recipes stand out due to their distinct ingredients, such as using alternative icings or fillings instead of more traditional options. What inspired these choices, and how do they enhance the customer experience?

I chose to make our fillings from scratch because I wanted to offer a better, more flavorful experience. Take our apple pie, for example—we hand-cut all the apples ourselves. Every fall, we drive up to Amish country in Ohio and purchase 50 to 60 bushels of fresh apples. My husband then uses a machine to cut every single one that goes into our pies.

We’re committed to using quality ingredients: real eggs, butter, and whole milk. We avoid shortcuts like canned or pre-made bucket fillings, which often contain preservatives and lose that vibrant, natural flavor. By using fresh fruit and making everything in-house, the difference is unmistakable. Our customers can truly taste the freshness—and that’s what keeps them coming back.

Consumer preferences in the food industry are constantly evolving, from dietary accommodations to innovative flavor combinations. How do you stay ahead of trends and decide which new products to introduce?

I do a lot of research, and we’re always listening to our customers. Many of our ideas come directly from their requests—they’ll ask if we can offer certain products or meet specific dietary needs. Right now, for example, we’re developing a vegan line. One of my managers has experience with vegan baking, so she’s sourcing all the ingredients we need to get started.

When it comes to gluten-free options, I was personally inspired by my two sisters, who are both gluten intolerant. I took the time to study and test recipes until I got them just right. It took some trial and error, but now we offer about five to ten different gluten-free cookies, and I’m still working on expanding that selection.

Research is a constant part of what we do—my team contributes ideas and experiments, too. I encourage that. If someone has an idea, we explore it. We test it, we taste it, and if it sells, fantastic. If not, we take it off the shelf and move on to the next concept. We’re always evolving.

Creating custom-designed cakes and pastries for special occasions requires both technical skill and artistic creativity. Can you walk us through the design and execution process, and how you ensure that each product meets client expectations?

Our design and execution process is very hands-on and artistic. I work with actual artists—individuals who might have otherwise been painting on canvas but instead express their creativity through icing. When a client provides an image or description of what they want, we take detailed notes and translate that into a clear, visual direction for the team.

My lead cake artist, in particular, is incredibly talented. She freehands all her designs—no projectors, no shortcuts—just pure skill. She takes the client’s vision and brings it to life entirely by hand. I’m constantly amazed by the level of precision and beauty she achieves. I review the work regularly and am often blown away by what the team creates. They consistently exceed expectations.

I’ve been doing this professionally at our storefront for 21 years, though I actually began about eight years prior, baking from home. Over time, this has grown into a true creative operation where attention to detail and client satisfaction are at the heart of everything we do.

If you would like to find out more about Pastries A-La-Carte, please visit https://www.pastriesalacarte.com/