David Stark, owner and founder of The Bake Shoppe, was born with baking in his blood. Stark’s family purchased Barbara’s Bake Shop in 1948. At the age of 14, David entered the world of baking and began working at Barbara’s in the mid 60’s. Once his uncle retired, David and his brother became partners at the bakery and proudly ran the business until 1990. Barbara’s had become the largest retail bakery in Des Moines, a household name famous for its traditional baked goods and champagne cakes.

David sold Barbara’s Bake Shop in 1990. He traveled and tried out the restaurant business for a bit before returning to run the bakery at Principal Financial from 1996-2002. In December of 2003, David opened The Bake Shoppe with the aim to do things the “old fashioned way”: to bake from scratch using high quality ingredients and lots of time and hand work. Along with his team of talented and dedicated employees, David maintains these high standards every day.

The Bake Shoppe is steadily growing, happily providing you with delicious, beautifully decorated baked goods and the Original Champagne Cakes.