The Family Story

After training in France and Switzerland, destinies collided in the 1980’s at a well-known local bakery in Seattle, Washington when Marc & Deborah Randolph met Cindy McLachlan and formed the partnership that would become Pastries by Randolph.

As a master cake decorator, Cindy was the perfect addition to the newlyweds’ dream of owning their own pastry shop. Marc had previously opened the kitchen at the Windows of the World and at the Kennedy Center in DC before being joined by Deborah and Cindy at the iconic Watergate Hotel. Creating their own vision was the natural next step for the talented trio. All 3 were dedicated to a venture that prioritized family and would create a legacy that would live on for generations – and so it has. With 4 children and 7 grandchildren to date, the PbR family tradition is alive and well, and the extended members can often be found jumping in to help during the busy holiday season.

For over 30 years, Pastries by Randolph has served the Arlington, Northern Virginia, DC & Maryland communities with pride – welcoming employees that have been with them since the beginning. Family isn’t just by blood, it’s a loyalty to the mission that the Randolph’s and Cindy have carefully crafted as they believe the shop is only as good as they treat their staff.

With the marriage of Marc & Deborah’s son, Justin to Penina Szojchet the idea to get the shop certified kosher was born. Kosher certification was granted in 2018 through DC Kosher after a yearlong process of eliminating any non-kosher ingredients or products from the kitchen. This allowed for the Jewish community and Penina’s extended family to be able to enjoy the delicacies of PbR. The couple has also introduced for the first time a shipping option that preserves the stellar quality the shop is known for, offering customers the chance to ship their favorites home or to a loved one.