Recipe for success Greene County brothers overcome tragedy, launch bakery
Josh, left, and Jason Stillwagon are the co-owners of Emma’s Bake Shoppe in Carmichaels, which opened June 20. The bakery has a variety of pastries and breads, and specializes in pepperoni rolls.
Emma’s Bake Shoppe in Carmichaels is named after Emma Stillwagon. Emma is the daughter of Jason Stillwagon, who is co-owner with his brother Josh Stillwagon. Emma’s favorite treat at the bakery is doughnuts.
Emma’s Bake Shoppe sells a variety of doughnuts, breads, cookies and pastries. The bakery is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Jason and Josh Stillwagon, bakers half their young lives, are hoping sweet smells lead to the sweet smell of success.
They are co-owners of Emma’s Bake Shoppe, the only bakery in Carmichaels and one of the few independents in Greene County. The brothers opened June 20, supplying breads, pastries and other goodies to restaurants, bars, cafés and local businesses – and to customers who stroll into their tidy, intimate Park Avenue shop.
“We make everything, totally from scratch,” said Josh, 30.
Well, not totally. Another element is integral to the mix.
Love.
Emma is Jason’s daughter, a cheery toddler 14 days shy of 3. She is the inspiration behind the corporate name, but more important, a beacon for a tight family leveled by tragedy.
A year and a half ago, Liz Stillwagon was three months pregnant with her second child, Emma’s brother. A diabetic, she had a seizure and died along with her unborn child. She was only 27.
Stillwagon’s emotions, at that time, were already raw. Liz’s passing wasn’t long after Wally Sr., Jason and Josh’s grandfather, had died.
“It was devastating,” Becky Stillwagon said of her daughter-in-law’s death.
Jason, understandably, needed personal time and his employer, Yum Yum’s Bagel Cafe in Uniontown, allowed Josh to work for him.
Not long afterward, Jason, 31, initiated the idea of becoming fabulous baker boys. He asked Josh his thoughts on launching a bakery.
“I thought he was joking, but he wasn’t,” Josh said. “I was excited.”
So the seeds for their business were sown. Jason, unbeknownst to his sibling, had those seeds in his pocket for a while.
“Before Liz passed away, we talked about opening a bakery/cafe like 10 years down the road, once our kids would be a little older,” Jason said. “I named the bakery after my daughter because she kept me strong through all the things I’ve been through. Emma is also named after my grandmother, who passed away in 2007.”
Their father, Wally Jr., had helped them establish a foundation in the industry. Wally was a baker for more than 25 years at a Uniontown pastry shop, where his older sons followed him following graduation from Albert Gallatin High School.
The Stillwagons, all residents of Masontown, Fayette County, needed a site and equipment. They bought machinery and found a 1,200-square-foot space on Park Avenue in a building owned by John Brodak, noted local businessman.
Their future bakery needed a major overhaul from the Subway shop that had been there, on the right side of the structure just off Route 88, next to Brodak Printing.
“We did a lot of work,” Wally said.
“Remodeling was insane,” Jason said of the five-month rehab. “The building was a disaster. We had to jump through hoops to get permits and change things to pass inspection.
“John Brodak did give us three months rent-free from the time we opened the shop. It was rent-free the whole time we were remodeling also. John is a very, very nice guy. He was very helpful through everything.”
Emma’s opened the day before the first day of summer. Wally said the shop initially served businesses, mostly in Uniontown.
All baking is done on site, and out of sight. Ovens, mixers, other equipment and ingredients are situated or stored in the back end.
The store side is brightly lit and well appointed, with a neat array of metal cake molds on one wall and an adorable photo of Emma near the doorway. Shelves are crowded with rows of delights – pastries, cookies, pies, pepperoni rolls.
“The pies are amazing, especially blackberry,” Becky said. “We can’t keep them in the shop.”
Doughnuts, in a brief time, have become just as popular. They were introduced Sept. 9. after the youngest brother, Justin, 23, was hired to help make them.
“We sold 12 dozen, then 15 dozen, then 18 dozen the first three days,” Wally said.
Walk-in customers have been picking up steadily, and sales to clients in Greene and Fayette counties have been strong. Josh, whose specialty is bread, said he bakes for an estimated 40 to 50 businesses.
Josh also makes buns, pizza shells and pepperoni rolls, the latter an early favorite. Jason does pies, pastries, cookies . . . many of the sweeter items.
Their hours can be tedious. Josh said he works 12 hours, or more, six days a week. But the brothers deal with it.
Baking and bakeries are a Stillwagon tradition, one that Wally plans to chronicle on a shop wall. A cousin and a great-great uncle of his were bakers as well, and he has photos of all but one.
When he gets a shot of that sixth Stillwagon, he will start setting up a display called “Family of Bakers.”
Actually, it will feature seven family members – including Emma.
Fabulous baker boys and girl.
Emma’s Bake Shoppe, for now, is cash only. Hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The phone is 724-966-9529. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/emmasbakeshoppe.