Welcome Fellow Cake Lover

The Physical Embodiment
of ” Follow Your Dreams”

Barbara Nigro, owner of Little Barb’s Bakery, is the physical embodiment of the phrase “follow your dreams.” With a degree in kinesiology and work experience exclusively in the health field, she went against all odds and pursued owning her own bakery. As the youngest of nine children, Barb always spoke with her desserts. She learned that the fastest way to a person’s heart is through their stomach — and what better food to accomplish this than desserts!

Barb is not your traditional trained baker. She is completely self-taught and creates desserts that she is passionate about, bringing her own flare and creativity to each piece. Ultimately, Little Barb’s Bakery focuses on inclusion and being your crazy unique self, no matter what.

“Little Barb’s vision is to create a bakery for all fellow cake lovers to come and get the cake of their dreams. I have always strived to take the concept from a customer and turn that into reality through desserts! Little Barb’s will always be a place you can come and express yourself through food, feel completely welcomed, and enjoy a simple yet beautiful dessert. It is simply just Durham’s friendly neighborhood bakery.”

Behind The Name

Little Barb’s Bakery may seem like a simple name to many, but the meaning goes much deeper. During college, Barb helped her father, Tony, open their family pizzeria in Cookeville, Tennessee. As they were brainstorming the perfect name, Barb recommended “Big Tony’s Pizzeria” and the rest was history. So, she only found it fitting to add “Little” to show some love to her father.

While you might think that “Barb’s” is named after herself, that is not quite true. It is actually to honor her grandmother, Barbara, whom she was named after. Barbara passed away in January of 2022, and was instrumental in Barb deciding to go on this crazy business venture. So, it felt necessary to name a piece of her business after the lady that encouraged her love for baking — and taught her how to make the best damn zucchini bread ever.