COMMUNITY SUPPORT HELPS SWEETEN RICHFIELD BAKERY
For many years, Whitney Olsen dreamed of owning her own bakery – something she could call her own and share with others. She was afraid it wouldn’t be possible, and it would always remain a dream. However, after a lot of encouragement from friends and family, in May of 2019, she decided to take the plunge and start her business.
“It was the best decision I have ever made, well except for marrying my husband and having two wonderful children,” she said. “It has been a great ride ever since!”
Whitney said in 2012, her sister-in-law talked her into making her wedding cake.
“I thought, how hard can it be?” she said. “I’ve always enjoyed baking and cooking. After many hours figuring out how to do a three-tiered fondant cake, I fell in love with decorating cakes. I really didn’t think about having it be a business, because it was my niche and a hobby I loved doing.”
“It was the best decision I have ever made, well except for marrying my husband and having two wonderful children,” she said. “It has been a great ride ever since!”
A few years later, Whitney decided to do something fun and creative for a fair. She had a custom ice cream sandwich booth featuring homemade cookies and toppings.
“It was a huge success,” she said. “Everyone thought the cookies were pretty yummy. This is when I knew I really wanted to pursue my dream and open a bakery.”
Whitney said the business started as Sweet Haven Custom Ice Cream Sandwiches and has now turned into Sweet Haven Bakery. Whitney works out of her home making custom orders, which means lots of cookies, brownies, bars, and cakes. This year she took her dream a little farther and expanded her business into a food trailer. She and her husband, along with help from many others, gutted and re-built a camp trailer and turned it into a mobile bakery. They opened it in June of 2020 and now park it on Richfield’s Main Street and also take it to events.
“The success of the business has amazed me,” she said. “We are truly blessed with the support from our community, and I am so grateful I get to live my dream and share my passion with others. I have to thank the Small Business Development Center for the many things they taught me about growing a business. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without their help. They have shown me how to get my name out there. I know they’ll be there to continue to advise and assist me, and I will always be appreciative of that.”
Business Assisted by The SBDC At:
