Wendy Ladd - The Peach Cobbler Factory - CLE

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by Wendy Ladd

Wendy Ladd is the franchise owner of two Peach Cobbler Factory locations. One is in Cleveland, OH, and the second is in Clarksville, TN. The Peach Cobbler Factory franchise is the second fastest-growing franchise across the nation. “We are a unique dessert spot. We aim to be the best desert bar in the country. We sell 12 flavors of banana pudding and 12 flavors of cobbler; we sell waffles, bigger and better brownies and cookies, churros, pudding shakes, and cobble shakes. We also make our very own peach tea and cold-brew coffee. Our goal is to make a great experience for the customers who grace our door, she says.

Wendy Ladd describes herself as a follower of Jesus Christ. Born and raised in Cleveland, OH, Wendy grew up in a two-parent household with one sibling. Of her immediate family, she is the only living member. “At my core, I am purpose-driven in Christ,” she says.

Wendy graduated from high school tenth in class. Later she attended college, and obtained her bachelors degree in Nursing from the University of Indianapolis. Her next move found her at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she got her Master’s Degree in business. In addition, Wendy spent about 15 and a half years in the United States Military, serving in the US Navy and the Air Force.

In August of this year, Wendy celebrated 28 years of marriage to her husband, Philip. She has two children: one daughter, who is currently in college and working towards her graduate degree in Speech Pathology, and her son, who is a junior in college and studying Communication.

Her path to entrepreneurship has been sort of unconventional. When she got out of the military as a Nurse Corps Officer, she became a Director of Nursing at a small critical care hospital. When that opportunity went away due to downsizing, she found herself at home with nothing to do. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I thought about opening a same-day surgery practice, amongst other things, and learned about an opportunity on a job posting site that catapulted her into the pharmaceutical industry. I stayed in this industry for twenty years before the dynamics changed and found myself looking for new opportunities,” she says.

In the past, Wendy had no challenges finding new employment opportunities, yet time passed, and nothing happened. “I asked God for direction. I didn’t know what to do. A good friend told me that maybe God wanted me to do something different,” she says. Wendy would soon learn about the franchise opportunities with The Peach Cobbler Factory from a friend. There was a location opening in Charlotte, NC. She visited the location and brought some desserts home for her husband. They both loved them, and Wendy later told him the good news that she had an interest in them becoming a franchisee with the company. Her husband was on board. Next, they would meet with the company’s CEO, who was also a franchisee at his store location. They had a lot of questions about operations, how to build the business, and more. The CEO shared the origins of how The Peach Cobbler Factory began. “It started from an African American couple from New Orleans that had been disenfranchised from Hurricane Katrina. They moved from New Orleans to Nashville and began selling their desserts out of their car. They later moved to Louisville, KY, and opened their first brick-and mortar location. Our CEO found out about the location in Louisville. He was sold, and the franchise was born,” Wendy says. Today, more than 100 peach Cobbler Factory locations are open around the country, with many more going through the process to get started.

“I feel like I am on an assignment.” That is Wendy’s response when asked what she loves most about what she does. “I feel like this is a place where people can come in and forget about the things that are happening outside. There is so much going on, and a lot of it is not positive. Inside our businesses, we have music playing, we have smiles on our faces that greet each customer, and, more importantly, we have an outstanding menu. You will not see a menu like ours anywhere else. People have brought me to tears talking about how good our Peach Cobbler is and how it reminds them of the cobbler they used to eat with their grandmother. It brings people back to the memory of when life was a lot easier, and folks were a lot kinder. We put a lot of love into what we do. We actually have a shirt here that says “Love In A Cup, That’s what we are serving here,” Wendy says.

Wendy and her company are committed to supporting the interests of members of her community, and she has formed various partnerships with individuals and organizations in and around Cleveland. One is The Spirit of Excellence, which works with high-functioning, mentally challenged adults. Wendy is able to offer the organizations’ clients a place to come and help contribute to what they do. “Being able to work with them brings me great joy, and I look forward to working with them each week they come,” she says. Additionally, many of the employees at Wendy’s are high school students. “I am able to speak into them. We assume these young minds are getting this at home, but it’s an assumption, and oftentimes, it’s a wrong assumption. Not only can their teachers speak to them, but they have an employer that can do the same. Many of our young employees are African Americans, and that brings me joy as well. That is why I feel that I am on an assignment by God, and I am trying to fulfill that assignment to the best of my ability.”

Named by her mother, Wendy says she didn’t like the name as a young girl. “I associated my name with someone who doesn’t look like me,” she says. Her mother is also the person who impacted Wendy’s life the most. Growing up, Wendy’s mother had her involved in many activities, such as figure skating, gymnastics, and swimming. “She was imparting into me at a young age and I didn’t realize what she was doing for me at the time. I would be the only black girl in these programs. I sang in a group called “The Singing Angels” and went all around the world. By the time I was in the sixth grade, I had already traveled to Rome and Germany. She also had my brother involved in hockey. I recall her telling us not to close ourselves off just because of where we live. She foresaw some things in our lives that would help us as adults.”

When asked if there is anything she would change about how things have happened for her in life, Wendy says there are so many things that have happened, but she is unsure about changing anything. “Experience. That is the only way you are going to grow and develop. If I came into this knowing everything, what is the point? I would have never imagined that after 36 years of being a healthcare professional, I would be in the dessert business,” she states.

Looking ahead, Wendy plans to continue building up business for The Peach Cobbler Factory. She hopes to open another location in Cleveland and form additional partnerships with community stakeholders. She also plans to start a podcast that will allow women of color who are in their mature seasons of life to discuss issues that matter to them. If you are in Cleveland, OH, or Clarksville, TN, stop by The Peach Cobbler Factory and enjoy some of their delicious desserts.