BISBEE, Ariz. (KGUN) — Patisserie Jacqui, a bakery in Old Bisbee, is seeing an increase in business, after receiving national recognition.
Chef and owner, Jackie Oatman, was named a James Beard semi-finalist, in the bakeries category.
"Never in a million years would have even dreamt of something like that,” Oatman said. "I still have impostor syndrome where I'm like, like, I'm not of that... level to be recognized, even in a nomination."
Patisserie Jacqui has been in Bisbee since 2019. Oatman said one of her friends encouraged her to open a business.
A few years after the first opening, she bought the property.
She doesn't know who nominated her for the award, but she says business has been booming since being named a semi-finalist.
“We know because there are people we've never seen before that are saying that they've seen that we've been nominated, and congratulating us,” Oatman said.
The growth in her business is one way she can help Bisbee as a city since more tourists are coming to the area.
"The more attention anybody else gets, that just brings more commerce and more business to our little town, which is great generating revenue,” Oatman said.
She says what sets her apart from others is having savory croissants on the menu, something most bakeries don’t have.
All of her pastries are made from scratch and the recipes are hers.
“I actually don't have much of a sweet tooth at all," Oatman said. "That's why I've offered a lot of savory items, and so I think that's very unique. A lot of people don't see that. they think of bakeries being exclusively sweet. I try to go pretty heavy on the savory offerings.”
She says this nomination isn’t going to change her approach to her business because she wants to continue to produce good food for the community the way she's always done it.
"I like seeing my skills improve because every day I'm getting better," Oatman said. "I'm never I never look in the mirror and go, 'Oh, wow, I'm really great at this, there's no room for improvement."
She says it'll be a few months before she finds out if she's a finalist for the award, but she's already planning to expand her team for her growing business.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
