On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Sarah Jo More, owner of The Main Grain Bakery. Sarah Jo first started baking with a couple of friends out of second story apartment, delivering a weekly supply of sourdough bread to an email list of friends and family. Eventually, they took the leap and opened a commercial bakery to success that surprised even Sarah Jo. The Main Grain has now become a Stevens Point staple and synonymous with delicious and innovative baked goods. Sarah Jo also takes us beyond the Main Grain’s downtown location to share some developments with the Central City Market and how a group of entrepreneurs are revitalizing and preserving an historic building in Stevens Point.
To hear more of the story of the Main Grain Bakery, here’s Sarah Jo.
www.mstc.edu
www.portagecountybiz.com
www.maingrainbakery.com
www.mstc.edu/apply
www.mstc.edu/programs
www.mstc.edu/programs/culinary-arts
www.mstc.edu/podcast
On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Sarah Jo More, owner of The Main Grain Bakery. Sarah Jo first started baking with a couple of friends out of second story apartment, delivering a weekly supply of sourdough bread to an email list of friends and family. Eventually, they took the leap and opened a commercial bakery to success that surprised even Sarah Jo. The Main Grain has now become a Stevens Point staple and synonymous with delicious and innovative baked goods. Sarah Jo also takes us beyond the Main Grain’s downtown location to share some developments with the Central City Market and how a group of entrepreneurs are revitalizing and preserving an historic building in Stevens Point.
To hear more of the story of the Main Grain Bakery, here’s Sarah Jo.
www.mstc.edu
www.portagecountybiz.com
www.maingrainbakery.com
www.mstc.edu/apply
www.mstc.edu/programs
www.mstc.edu/programs/culinary-arts
www.mstc.edu/podcast
00:00:00 Sarah Jo More
We were sold.
00:00:01 Sarah Jo More
Out in like 10 minutes because I was so unprepared.
00:00:05 Sarah Jo More
But also I had a line out the door and then like everything sells super fast.
00:00:09 Sarah Jo More
And then you're like: Oh my gosh, I have to like re make those oatmeal cream pies that I spent so much time on. Once.
00:00:15 Sarah Jo More
We close the doors, we're like: Oh we.
00:00:18 Sarah Jo More
Have to do this tomorrow.
00:00:20 Sarah Jo More
I literally remember that. Like what?
*break*
00:00:30 Ben Nusz
Welcome to Profile Central Wisconsin.
00:00:32 Ben Nusz
A podcast about the origins of the organizations that make our community thrive.
00:00:37 Ben Nusz
I'm Benjamin Nusz, your host and the campus dean of Mid-State Technical Colleges.
00:00:41 Ben Nusz
Stevens Point campus.
00:00:42 Ben Nusz
I'll be joined by co-host, Michael Witte, executive director of the Portage County Business Council.
00:00:48 Ben Nusz
On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Sarah Jo Moore, owner of the Main Grain Bakery, Sarah Jo first started baking with a couple of friends out of a second story apartment, delivering a weekly supply of sourdough bread to an email list of friends and family.
00:01:04 Ben Nusz
Eventually, they took the leap and opened a commercial bakery to great.
00:01:08 Ben Nusz
Success that surprised even Sarah Jo. The Main Grain has now become a Stevens Point staple and is synonymous with delicious and innovative baked goods.
00:01:18 Ben Nusz
Sarah Jo also takes us beyond the Main Grains downtown location to share some developments with the Central City Market and how a group of entrepreneurs are revitalizing and preserving an historic building in Stevens Point.
00:01:31 Ben Nusz
To hear more of the.
00:01:32 Ben Nusz
Story of The Main Grain Bakery.
00:01:34 Ben Nusz
Here's Sarah Jo.
*interview resumes*
00:01:43 Sarah Jo More
The was it the day after Thanksgiving, my grandma would always do cut out Christmas cookies and I loved that day, mostly because I ate like a lot of the frosting.
00:01:52 Sarah Jo More
But uhm, yeah.
00:01:53 Sarah Jo More
Growing up.
00:01:54 Sarah Jo More
My mom was always in the kitchen and she always made like cheesecakes.
00:01:58 Sarah Jo More
And I mean she was always baking.
00:02:00 Sarah Jo More
And so I had access to it all the time.
00:02:03 Sarah Jo More
But specifically, Grandma's cookie day was like a yearly thing that I really looked forward to. We were just always part of the kitchen, so she always included us.
00:02:11 Sarah Jo More
And if I ever want like I would love making my sisters like I like, we would play maid, and I would just like like what do you want?
00:02:20 Sarah Jo More
And I would like go to the kitchen I.
00:02:21 Sarah Jo More
Would make them.
00:02:21 Sarah Jo More
So I was very like a hospitable.
00:02:24 Sarah Jo More
Person, and so I'd always make them food like even if we if it was like vanilla ice cream with like I would always find something to make it like special or unique like adding like Christmas sprinkles when it was July stuff like that.
00:02:36 Sarah Jo More
But I was always like very excited to make people things that's for sure.
00:02:39 Ben Nusz
You had a lot.
00:02:40 Ben Nusz
Of choices, how did you pick Stevens Point?
00:02:43 Sarah Jo More
Honestly, my sister went to school here and I was like.
00:02:47 Sarah Jo More
I don't know what I want to.
00:02:48 Sarah Jo More
Do let's just follow.
00:02:50 Sarah Jo More
Suit so I I applied to one school and I was like I don't even know like why I'm going to college or what I want to do or where Stevens.
00:02:59 Sarah Jo More
Point is, but I literally applied to one.
00:03:01 Sarah Jo More
This is how passionate I was about campus, UW, which honestly like coming here, led me to everything that I that I needed, so it was definitely worth it.
00:03:13 Sarah Jo More
But yeah, I applied to one school and I got in.
00:03:17 Sarah Jo More
Just barely, and here I am.
00:03:20 Sarah Jo More
Uhm, so yeah, I was like hey I don't know what I want to do but so yeah, Stevens Point.
00:03:27 Ben Nusz
Do you have a degree in family consumer science?
00:03:29 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, I'm a certified family life educator, so let me know if you need any help.
00:03:35 Ben Nusz
Can you? *laughs* Can.
00:03:36 Ben Nusz
You define what these studies are like?
00:03:37 Ben Nusz
Do they still have that program?
00:03:38 Sarah Jo More
Yeah.
00:03:38 Sarah Jo More
I'm sure they still have that program.
00:03:40 Sarah Jo More
It's like home economics, yeah, so like when I was in high.
00:03:43 Sarah Jo More
School, you know when you take like the fake baby.
00:03:45 Sarah Jo More
Home yeah yeah, I did that twice for like just for extra credit like nobody wants to do that except for me.
00:03:52 Sarah Jo More
I don't even have kids.
00:03:54 Sarah Jo More
But I loved home economics.
00:03:55 Sarah Jo More
That was like my jam.
00:03:56 Sarah Jo More
Like the foods, classes.
00:03:58 Sarah Jo More
The even like the psychology of it was super interesting.
00:04:02 Ben Nusz
So, you loved it, you majored in that.
00:04:04 Sarah Jo More
Minored in food and nutrition.
00:04:06 Ben Nusz
Minored in food nutrition.
00:04:07 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, but you know that's a lot of like numbers, which I don't really get.
00:04:12 Sarah Jo More
Into but you know it was based around food, so it worked.
00:04:15 Ben Nusz
So where does the baking start?
00:04:17 Ben Nusz
Where does your your, your own personal baking start?
00:04:21 Sarah Jo More
When my sister got married, I was like I can, I think I can make your wedding cake and she's like: Ok, sounds great. And that was like the first time I learned how to make buttercream and it was like at 12:30 in the morning and I was like.
00:04:32 Sarah Jo More
I don't know what I'm doing, but this is tomorrow.
00:04:35 Sarah Jo More
But anyway.
00:04:37 Ben Nusz
That's a lot, that’s a lot.
00:04:38 Ben Nusz
Of trust that your sister *laughs*
00:04:40 Sarah Jo More
Yes, but we're yeah.
00:04:42 Sarah Jo More
I don't know.
00:04:42 Sarah Jo More
I was very confident I was like I got this.
00:04:44 Sarah Jo More
You don't worry about it and like she didn't and I was like.
00:04:48 Sarah Jo More
I woke up my mom and I was like I don't know what I'm doing and then she helped me figure out the butter cream and it was great.
00:04:54 Ben Nusz
How different is your current buttercream recipe than that one?
00:04:59 Ben Nusz
I 'cause I must say you're known for your.
00:05:00 Ben Nusz
Buttercream.
00:05:02 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, I mean it's the same buttercream recipe like that was the day that I learned how to actually like work through you know, buttercream.
00:05:09 Sarah Jo More
If you're making it the right way in the good way, it curdles.
00:05:12 Sarah Jo More
Once you add like the hot sugar, it doesn't curdle, it just gets weird and like looks like kind of like.
00:05:17 Sarah Jo More
Cottage cheese and everyone freaks out and they're like I messed it.
00:05:20 Sarah Jo More
Up so they stop.
00:05:21 Sarah Jo More
But you have to do is keep whipping it and keep going.
00:05:23 Sarah Jo More
And then it turns into this smooth buttercream.
00:05:25 Sarah Jo More
And if you want it extra smooth, you whip it on low for like an hour and you've got some creamy goodness.
00:05:32 Sarah Jo More
But I learned all of this just by like trial and error, and that's who I.
00:05:35 Sarah Jo More
I've always been.
00:05:36 Sarah Jo More
A trial and error person.
00:05:39 Michael Witte
Yeah, tell tell us about π Monday.
00:05:41 Sarah Jo More
Oh! I love that you know what you must have read you really read my story that's great! So everything kind of started in college when I moved out of the dorms and I had my own house with like four other dudes and I had a kitchen and I was like whoa, this is crazy like my own kitchen, right?
00:05:58 Sarah Jo More
I went to the Co-op, got all the groceries and I was like wow I like this is kind of fun like I can really start experimenting.
00:06:05 Sarah Jo More
In which I did so I started getting really into pie and then all my friends would come over and they're like: Are you making pie?
00:06:12 Sarah Jo More
And I was like, yeah.
00:06:13 Sarah Jo More
And then I realized I should do this every Monday and so every Monday I made a different pie and so everybody would come over for pie.
00:06:18 Sarah Jo More
Monday I was making like 3 pies a week and like as a college student I mean that.
00:06:23 Sarah Jo More
Was some time and it was all from scratch.
00:06:25 Sarah Jo More
Organic good ingredients.
00:06:27 Sarah Jo More
And then they were like I want to learn.
00:06:30 Sarah Jo More
So I remember like teaching like my friend Keith how to make pie after that I got through school and I was kind of doing like weddings on the side and like small little like special orders for people delivering desserts out of my red Pontiac Sunfire.
00:06:45 Sarah Jo More
You know, no big deal.
00:06:49 Ben Nusz
Like a paid like people would pay you to.
00:06:52 Ben Nusz
Deliver there?
00:06:53 Sarah Jo More
I don't remember charging them. I was probably like yeah, give me like $20 and like we'll call it even.
00:06:58 Sarah Jo More
But like like this is just.
00:06:59 Sarah Jo More
Fun for me and I.
00:06:59 Ben Nusz
Yeah, yeah.
00:07:01 Sarah Jo More
Always say like start a business before you start a business.
00:07:03 Sarah Jo More
Like how many people are actually interested, and I mean I did that with my dog business as well.
00:07:08 Sarah Jo More
Like how many people actually want this because you you can't just like go into it and like hope for the best.
00:07:12 Sarah Jo More
I guess I kind of did, but I had like an idea of like who actually wants like wedding cakes or special desserts or delivery and setup and all that kind of stuff.
00:07:21 Ben Nusz
How did you not trip on your bootstraps?
00:07:25 Sarah Jo More
I think it was the age.
00:07:27 Sarah Jo More
I was 21 yeah, and so I think just like.
00:07:31 Sarah Jo More
And just being like naive and like not knowing a whole lot and also like there wasn't anything to like.
00:07:38 Sarah Jo More
Compare yourself to like social media wasn't really a thing, right?
00:07:42 Sarah Jo More
Like there wasn't.
00:07:42 Sarah Jo More
It was like your brain came up with ideas of how to do these things because there wasn't like Pinterest or like all these like other opportunities to like.
00:07:51 Sarah Jo More
Look for ideas or you know, copy or whatever it is, but.
00:07:56 Sarah Jo More
Basically, I think yeah, I just I kind of ignored like everything that was happening around me and I was like I have a vision and we're going to make this happen and and I mean, I definitely had some concerns like family members.
00:08:09 Sarah Jo More
I mean not too concerned they were very supportive totally, but you know, there was definitely those moments of like are you you?
00:08:16 Sarah Jo More
You realize what you're doing right?
00:08:18 Sarah Jo More
I mean, there were three of us with the business, so equally we split that business three ways.
00:08:23 Sarah Jo More
And you know, like family was helping us, there was some.
00:08:28 Sarah Jo More
There was like a loan and a co-sign, like there was like things that we had to do that were a little uncomfortable, right?
00:08:34 Sarah Jo More
But I just kind of like kept moving forward.
00:08:37 Sarah Jo More
I was like step by step but I I what it doesn't really scare me.
00:08:42 Ben Nusz
Sure, yeah, like it.
00:08:42 Sarah Jo More
I don't know.
00:08:44 Ben Nusz
Do you think that your youth just gave you a little bit.
00:08:47 Ben Nusz
Of fearlessness?
00:08:48 Sarah Jo More
Totally. Yeah, yeah.
00:08:48 Ben Nusz
So so tell us.
00:08:51 Ben Nusz
About your initial partners Nick and Kyle.
00:08:54 Ben Nusz
Yeah, had an apartment bakery take us into that space in those early days.
00:08:58 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, so go up two flights of stairs.
00:09:00 Sarah Jo More
You walk into your average apartment and it's not so average.
00:09:05 Sarah Jo More
There's like metal racks that are hanging out in the living room with like linens.
00:09:09 Sarah Jo More
And chutias and bread.
00:09:10 Sarah Jo More
And like there's a gigantic mixer that they hauled up on like a stand.
00:09:14 Sarah Jo More
And like, uh, Hobart, they they're everything. There was just bread and flour bags like bulk 50lb bags of flour everywhere.
00:09:22 Ben Nusz
Did you get back your security deposit?
00:09:25 Sarah Jo More
It was their apartment, so I don't know. I have no idea, but in my apartment I mean it was like it was not that crazy, but I definitely like, you know, I would wake up early and and make these desserts and do my thing, but I was working at Cafe 27 at the time which is prior to Father Fats so.
00:09:44 Sarah Jo More
I was there early mornings all day.
00:09:48 Sarah Jo More
And I was kind of like.
00:09:50 Sarah Jo More
I want more like give me projects, but that wasn't really happening.
00:09:54 Sarah Jo More
Which is fine.
00:09:55 Sarah Jo More
I was just making like the same cookies like over and over and I was like I know what I've got.
00:10:01 Sarah Jo More
And since I wasn't really getting fulfilled there, I just started doing my own thing and so Nick and Kyle were like, hey, why don't you do the sweets and we'll stay with the bread and maybe we can find like a space to do this legally, right?
00:10:16 Sarah Jo More
So instead of out of our apartment, maybe we can find an actual kitchen that that that.
00:10:19 Ben Nusz
Good choice.
00:10:20 Sarah Jo More
Makes this happen.
00:10:21 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, good choice.
00:10:23 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, we are kind of looking around town.
00:10:25 Sarah Jo More
This used to be the mall.
00:10:26 Sarah Jo More
This is probably.
00:10:27 Sarah Jo More
The room we looked at.
00:10:29 Ben Nusz
Where we are now.
00:10:30 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, exactly.
00:10:31 Sarah Jo More
And so I was like, none of them like felt right.
00:10:35 Sarah Jo More
And then we found me Emmy J’s and I was like oh, a storefront.
00:10:39 Sarah Jo More
We can do this and they're like: A storefront?
00:10:42 Sarah Jo More
I'm like, yeah, let's like not deliver.
00:10:44 Sarah Jo More
Let's have people come to us like we can make this like a really cool space and really like.
00:10:49 Sarah Jo More
You know, offer our community something special and.
00:10:52 Sarah Jo More
It was like 5 months, and we transformed that space from like an old garage that was like a music venue to.
00:11:00 Ben Nusz
I I remember going to a show uh or two in that space and it was just a big open space that was there.
00:11:02 Sarah Jo More
Right?
00:11:07 Ben Nusz
So right next to to Emmy J’s.
00:11:11 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, there was a stage.
00:11:13 Ben Nusz
There was a stage *chuckles* You dismantle the stage and how did you transform that space into a bakery?
00:11:20 Sarah Jo More
With the help of my family, my grandpa came.
00:11:24 Sarah Jo More
He put in a window.
00:11:25 Sarah Jo More
He built the.
00:11:25 Sarah Jo More
Wall. The guys that I was working with their family helped us as well and like my sisters came and helped do the recipe card wall.
00:11:35 Sarah Jo More
There's a lot of painting so it's a lot of family and friends helping us.
00:11:39 Sarah Jo More
Which was really sweet for them to be a part of that and really adds to the story too, but uhm.
00:11:45 Sarah Jo More
A lot of used equipment coming in hot.
00:11:49 Sarah Jo More
You know, once we took out our loan through The Pineries Bank, we are able to like really get like some used refrigerators and the big oven that we drove to Chicago for that used to be in a pizza place and.
00:12:03 Sarah Jo More
And like my dad just took the truck in the trailer and we took a road trip and came back and loaded it up and so yeah a lot of old memories of just like painting that space white instead of.
00:12:16 Sarah Jo More
I don't even know what it was like.
00:12:17 Sarah Jo More
Multiple different colors and just sort of cleaning up everything and and the garage door is a cool.
00:12:22 Sarah Jo More
Feature as well and so.
00:12:25 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, we put in a wall and added a sink and boom, shakalaka.
00:12:30 Ben Nusz
Off you go.
*break in interview*
00:12:32 Ben Nusz
Hello listener, we'll get back to Michael and my interview with Sarah Jo in a moment I just wanted to take a second to talk about a new program at Mid-State.
00:12:42 Ben Nusz
So, this fall we launched an associate degree in culinary arts.
00:12:46 Ben Nusz
It's a 60 credit two year program that prepares students to provide.
00:12:51 Ben Nusz
Professional chef and cooking service.
00:12:54 Ben Nusz
Students learn all aspects of food production from menu planning and food preparation to management of supplies.
00:13:01 Ben Nusz
Courses are taught both online and in person in our brand new state of the art training kitchen on the Wisconsin Rapids campus.
00:13:09 Ben Nusz
It's the type of space that a young Sara Joe would have really appreciated.
00:13:14 Ben Nusz
She wouldn't have had to bake out of her home had she attended Mid-State.
00:13:17 Ben Nusz
It's the best training kitchen around.
00:13:21 Ben Nusz
We even plan to open a cafe in the future.
00:13:23 Ben Nusz
I'm personally grateful for this new program, mainly because I love.
00:13:27 Ben Nusz
To eat delicious food.
00:13:29 Ben Nusz
So listener, the next time you're on the Wisconsin Rapids campus, come take a peek at the brilliant new facilities and see the latest great program.
00:13:38 Ben Nusz
Mid-State has to offer.
00:13:39 Ben Nusz
Of course, you can always find out more about the curriculum in courses on our website. So let's now get back to the story of the Main Grain Bakery with Sarah Jo.
00:13:50 Ben Nusz
So, I gotta ask.
00:13:51 Ben Nusz
Where did Main Grain Bakery come from?
00:13:54 Ben Nusz
You're not on Main Street.
00:13:57 Sarah Jo More
No, but in our heads at one time we were.
00:14:01 Sarah Jo More
So in that same apartment we literally locked the door and we're like we are not leaving this room until we have a name.
00:14:07 Sarah Jo More
We need to come up with the name 'cause we were struggling for a long time and between the three of us we had to agree, right?
00:14:12 Sarah Jo More
That's a tough thing to do.
00:14:14 Sarah Jo More
Until we found the space on Main Street, it's the first building to your right as you're like.
00:14:18 Sarah Jo More
Headed toward like on Main Street, right, right, next to Guu’s and we wanted to build a secret door between Guu’s and the bakery so we could have like beers just like sent over.
00:14:28 Sarah Jo More
We didn't do that, but.
00:14:31 Sarah Jo More
So that space was available for rent and I remember feeling like over my head excited to do that.
00:14:38 Sarah Jo More
But then logistically we realized like we actually won't be able to afford this.
00:14:42 Sarah Jo More
When we did all the, crunched the numbers and whatnot.
00:14:45 Sarah Jo More
And so we were one like we were so close to signing a lease and my I just remember my dad being like I don't think this is a good idea and I was like OK, I'm and I take that to heart right?
00:14:57 Sarah Jo More
Like you don't just like.
00:14:57 Sarah Jo More
Go ahead when you don't really have your parents approval at age 20, 20-21 and so.
00:15:02 Sarah Jo More
So like thankfully it was the right decision to be where we are right now.
00:15:07 Sarah Jo More
So Main Street, main grain, whole grains, healthy, sustainable.
00:15:13 Sarah Jo More
All those kind of fun things, right?
00:15:14 Sarah Jo More
And so we're like the Main Grain Bakery.
00:15:16 Sarah Jo More
And so once we.
00:15:19 Sarah Jo More
Didn't sign the lease and moved over to that other space, which we're currently at now.
00:15:23 Sarah Jo More
We liked the name so much that we kept it.
00:15:25 Sarah Jo More
I would change that name in a second if I could, but we're not going to do that *laughs*
00:15:32 Ben Nusz
So, so you open in 2011 and as I understand it, you didn't know exactly what you were going to bake on that first day; and you, you decided to bake.
00:15:47 Ben Nusz
Oatmeal cream pies, which you're still known for and are one of my favorite.
00:15:53 Ben Nusz
But tell us about that first day in those early signs of your business.
00:15:56 Sarah Jo More
Yeah I'm not.
00:15:57 Sarah Jo More
A huge planner so that can work.
00:16:00 Sarah Jo More
You know both ways my.
00:16:01 Sarah Jo More
I remember my husband Michael was like.
00:16:05 Sarah Jo More
What are, what are you making?
00:16:06 Sarah Jo More
And I was like no ones gonna come.
00:16:08 Sarah Jo More
It's like our first day like no one knows about us, right?
00:16:12 Sarah Jo More
And it's like what are you going to do?
00:16:13 Sarah Jo More
I was like I have no idea.
00:16:14 Sarah Jo More
I'll figure it out when I'm there, like literally when I'm there, like at 2:00 AM.
00:16:18 Sarah Jo More
I'm like.
00:16:18 Sarah Jo More
So what do we got going on, right?
00:16:21 Sarah Jo More
And so I remember I was working at the Co-op at the time and so during my breaks I would always look up recipes and oatmeal cream pies I came across and I was like, oh, that's a great idea.
00:16:30 Sarah Jo More
So I printed the recipe and I changed some things because I always changed like the sugar to honey or all white flour to a little bit of whole wheat flour or things like that.
00:16:40 Sarah Jo More
So I changed it to what I wanted it to be.
00:16:43 Sarah Jo More
And I made that day one, along with chocolate espresso scones, which we still have today.
00:16:49 Sarah Jo More
And we were sold out in like 10 minutes because I was so unprepared.
00:16:54 Sarah Jo More
But also I had a line out the door.
00:16:56 Sarah Jo More
I did not expect like you just didn't.
00:16:59 Sarah Jo More
I just didn't think like anybody really knew about us.
00:17:01 Sarah Jo More
There wasn't social media at that time.
00:17:03 Sarah Jo More
I mean there was Facebook, but it wasn't as big as it is now, obviously.
00:17:06 Sarah Jo More
And so there wasn't really a great way to spread the word except for the fact that we're next to Emmy J’s and I should have been smart enough like everyone.
00:17:14 Sarah Jo More
Like when are you opening?
00:17:14 Sarah Jo More
When are you opening?
00:17:15 Sarah Jo More
When are you opening up?
00:17:17 Sarah Jo More
And so anyway, yeah?
00:17:19 Ben Nusz
So you think that that line came from word of mouth?
00:17:21 Sarah Jo More
For sure 100%. Yeah, and I think I mean we are on the news. I mean this is 11 years ago.
00:17:27 Sarah Jo More
It's actually really hard to remember, kind of, but yeah, we were.
00:17:32 Sarah Jo More
We were on the on the news a few times and and things like that.
00:17:35 Sarah Jo More
So it's definitely helpful, but for sure.
00:17:37 Sarah Jo More
Word of mouth.
00:17:38 Michael Witte
Well, you said you know you don't really have a master plan.
00:17:41 Michael Witte
You said you're not a you're not.
00:17:42 Michael Witte
A planner so.
00:17:44 Michael Witte
After that first day.
00:17:45 Michael Witte
What was it that started evolving?
00:17:50 Michael Witte
I mean to to the point you're at now, I mean.
00:17:53 Sarah Jo More
Once we close the doors, we're like.
00:17:56 Sarah Jo More
Oh, we have to do this tomorrow.
00:17:59 Sarah Jo More
I literally remember like what?
00:18:03 Sarah Jo More
That sounds so.
00:18:04 Sarah Jo More
I mean, that sounds so.
00:18:05 Sarah Jo More
Hilarious, but that's all it was like.
00:18:08 Sarah Jo More
Because you prepped so much for.
00:18:09 Sarah Jo More
That day, that moment.
00:18:11 Sarah Jo More
And then, like everything sells super fast.
00:18:13 Sarah Jo More
And then you're like: Oh my gosh, I have to like remake those oatmeal cream pies that I spent so much time on.
00:18:18 Sarah Jo More
So I think that hit.
00:18:20 Sarah Jo More
Me, I also needed to go to.
00:18:21 Sarah Jo More
Work the Co-op.
00:18:22 Sarah Jo More
Like I needed to do my shift that night.
00:18:24 Sarah Jo More
And then I also needed to wake up at 2:00 in the morning.
00:18:26 Sarah Jo More
So it was like 2:00 AM to 5:00 PM and then my.
00:18:30 Sarah Jo More
5 to 10 shift.
00:18:31 Sarah Jo More
And then we go home and sleep for a couple hours and do it all over again and then over again and over again and over again.
00:18:36 Sarah Jo More
And we are open.
00:18:37 Sarah Jo More
I think seven days a week at the time.
00:18:39 Sarah Jo More
Maybe we were closed on Sunday, but I remember that first day we closed.
00:18:42 Sarah Jo More
I was like I have never.
00:18:44 Sarah Jo More
Been more thankful in my life, right like?
00:18:48 Sarah Jo More
I think I was in that garage the majority of my 20s and.
00:18:54 Sarah Jo More
I think I missed a little bit of my 20s.
00:18:57 Sarah Jo More
Like I missed that that like 8 that that like 10 years of like going and doing things or traveling or whatnot like I spent a lot of my time figuring out how to run a business successfully and I don't regret it.
00:19:10 Sarah Jo More
It's just interesting to look.
00:19:12 Sarah Jo More
Back on so.
00:19:13 Sarah Jo More
So your question of like?
00:19:15 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, how did it progress?
00:19:16 Sarah Jo More
I mean it was a lot of late nights and early mornings and not a lot of sleep.
00:19:21 Sarah Jo More
And I remember just calling Michael because he lived in Neenah at the time and I.
00:19:24 Sarah Jo More
Just started crying.
00:19:26 Sarah Jo More
And I was like, what did I just like.
00:19:28 Sarah Jo More
There is no end and there's no light at the end of the tunnel.
00:19:32 Sarah Jo More
Then eventually we figured it out and we hired somebody and we we kind of switched things around.
00:19:37 Sarah Jo More
We got more efficient.
00:19:38 Sarah Jo More
You know, at the beginning you're just doing the same thing over and over and over again, and you don't even have time to come up with like an efficient plan because you just have to like, keep going and keep moving.
00:19:47 Sarah Jo More
And so it took.
00:19:49 Sarah Jo More
A while to like figure out the kinks and that was really, really difficult.
00:19:52 Sarah Jo More
And honestly, it's like I'm just kind of remembering how difficult it was now because I always tell the story.
00:19:58 Sarah Jo More
I'm like Oh yeah, it was great.
00:19:59 Sarah Jo More
It was super fun and now I'm like as I'm talking about like, OK?
00:20:02 Sarah Jo More
I'm actually like that was tough.
00:20:04 Sarah Jo More
But well worth it.
00:20:08 Ben Nusz
Move forward 2014 so when you started you had these two partners, but moving forward you buy out your business partners, Nick and Kyle.
00:20:16 Ben Nusz
Uhm, did you get in a.
00:20:18 Ben Nusz
Food fight what?
00:20:19 Ben Nusz
What was the story there?
00:20:20 Ben Nusz
Or, uh.
00:20:22 Ben Nusz
Well, how did that?
00:20:23 Ben Nusz
How did that come to an end and how did you what signs did you have that let you know that you wanted to be the sole owner of.
00:20:31 Ben Nusz
The business?
00:20:32 Sarah Jo More
Good question.
00:20:33 Sarah Jo More
So we did not get in a food fight, but it was, you know I would compare it to like I've never been.
00:20:39 Sarah Jo More
Divorced but I.
00:20:40 Sarah Jo More
Would assume that I mean it was a very difficult process.
00:20:43 Sarah Jo More
Michael is a very he was super helpful at that time so he was very fair with like my feelings and their feelings and really.
00:20:51 Sarah Jo More
Helping us sort of like understand what we wanted.
00:20:54 Sarah Jo More
They wanted to sell the business as a whole and I was like: uhhhhm
00:20:57 Sarah Jo More
Pretty sure I have a say in this!
00:20:59 Sarah Jo More
And I'm going to buy it.
00:21:02 Sarah Jo More
And so, uhm, yeah, that was definitely tough.
00:21:04 Sarah Jo More
That was a really.
00:21:05 Sarah Jo More
That was one of the hardest moments of my life.
00:21:07 Sarah Jo More
Just trying to like really figure out how to navigate that at such a young age and try to trying to stay like professional about it and.
00:21:15 Sarah Jo More
And successful at the same time.
00:21:17 Sarah Jo More
So I knew that we were sort of like going in our separate ways because I sort of separated myself.
00:21:24 Sarah Jo More
I like to be in charge so it's hard to be like owning a bakery three ways, right?
00:21:29 Sarah Jo More
But I started doing weddings, kind of like within the business, but sort of on the side like that.
00:21:34 Sarah Jo More
Was like my thing like I needed ownership of something in that bakery and and so I I was like I'm going to really promote this wedding thing and so I would do taste tests and have people come in and and it was just me.
00:21:48 Sarah Jo More
It was just my thing.
00:21:49 Sarah Jo More
The guys didn't worry about that at all, uhm?
00:21:52 Sarah Jo More
And so I knew deep down that I that I just that I wanted to do this by myself and that it would just probably be easier and so moving on.
00:22:02 Sarah Jo More
When they left then I I had to replace them.
00:22:05 Sarah Jo More
So I hired two people to replace them and then I just was like again trial and error person and I'm like well what would a third person do and maybe a fourth and then you start really figuring out how to delegate.
00:22:21 Sarah Jo More
Tasks and train and then all of a sudden, we're building a team.
00:22:26 Sarah Jo More
Umm and then now I have to learn how to be a boss where it was just the three of us and we just owned a business.
00:22:33 Sarah Jo More
Right now I have to like lead people and and build communication skills and relationships and and keep things really healthy and so yeah, it was a very interesting time in my life.
00:22:49 Sarah Jo More
Seems fun; was difficult.
*break in interview*
00:22:57 Ben Nusz
More from Sarah Jo.
00:22:58 Ben Nusz
In a moment, just a quick break to share some brief announcements.
00:23:02 Ben Nusz
The spring term at Mid-State is just around the corner. The first day of the terms on January 24th, but there's still time to apply and register.
00:23:09 Ben Nusz
Whether you're looking to start a program or just take a course.
00:23:13 Ben Nusz
We have the.
00:23:14 Ben Nusz
Knowledge and training you need to succeed.
00:23:17 Ben Nusz
We have online classes, small in person classes and everything.
00:23:20 Ben Nusz
In between visit mstc.edu/apply to complete your application today. In addition to connecting businesses, the Portage County Business Council provides networking opportunities for the next generation of community leaders through Ignite Young Professionals. To learn more about Ignite, visit portagecountybiz.com that's biz with a ‘z.’
00:23:40 Ben Nusz
Now let's hear more of the story of the Main Grain Bakery with Sarah Jo.
*interview resumes*
00:23:50 Ben Nusz
So take us actually a little bit into the into the baking process, right?
00:23:54 Ben Nusz
Yeah, Main Grain known for the sweets.
00:23:56 Ben Nusz
Also known for the best bread in town, right? And and you make a reference to a traditional bread making technique so so take us into your bakery.
00:24:07 Sarah Jo More
OK.
00:24:09 Sarah Jo More
We put in the water.
00:24:10 Sarah Jo More
We add the flour, we mix it once then it comes together and then we mix it again.
00:24:16 Sarah Jo More
Second speed faster, stronger building gluten.
00:24:21 Sarah Jo More
Then we add the salt.
00:24:23 Sarah Jo More
Sourdough and then cheese or nuts.
00:24:26 Sarah Jo More
Dried fruit.
00:24:27 Sarah Jo More
Things like that.
00:24:28 Sarah Jo More
Take it out of the mixer, put it in a bucket, let it rest, and then.
00:24:31 Sarah Jo More
Take it.
00:24:32 Sarah Jo More
Out of the bucket.
00:24:33 Sarah Jo More
Degas.
00:24:34 Sarah Jo More
Fold it so instead of punching down like a loaf of or, you know dough right, which most people do and they look forward to that.
00:24:42 Sarah Jo More
We take it out the bucket slowly.
00:24:44 Sarah Jo More
And we like burp it slowly, so we put it on the table and we fold it in a certain way so.
00:24:52 Sarah Jo More
Degassing the bread to let all the air bubbles out, putting it back in the bucket and letting it rise for another hour or so, and then doing the same thing over again, and then at 8:30 we have a bread party and we call it the bread party.
00:25:05 Sarah Jo More
And sometimes we like go far and we're like what are you bringing?
00:25:08 Sarah Jo More
To the party you know, like stupid.
00:25:09 Sarah Jo More
Stuff like that, but.
00:25:12 Sarah Jo More
Anyway, so there's at least three people on the worktable.
00:25:16 Sarah Jo More
Dividing shaping the dough, pre shaping the dough and then putting the dough in baskets so and then they sit overnight.
00:25:25 Sarah Jo More
So it's a three day process, you know, as far as one day we weigh out all the ingredients.
00:25:30 Sarah Jo More
The second day we mix it and the third day we bake it so everyone is like, well, can't you just make more?
00:25:36 Sarah Jo More
I mean, sure, three days, see yeah, then.
00:25:39 Ben Nusz
I, I admit, I might have said that once when I came in and there wasn't any bread.
00:25:43 Ben Nusz
Left 'cause I came in at 2:00 o'clock.
00:25:45 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, I mean it makes sense, right?
00:25:47 Sarah Jo More
So it's a learning opportunity as well and I.
00:25:49 Sarah Jo More
Think that's why.
00:25:51 Sarah Jo More
Starting a bakery.
00:25:53 Sarah Jo More
And selling sourdough bread is a opportunity for this community to like, learn something new, right?
00:25:58 Sarah Jo More
Same thing with Siren Shrub like we’re educating which is really cool like not a lot of people know what to do with sourdough bread or how to store it, or how to slice it.
00:26:07 Sarah Jo More
I mean, it's like very basic stuff, but it's it was new to a lot of people like what does sourdough and what does it mean?
00:26:13 Sarah Jo More
Well, fermentation breaks down the gluten easier, easier to digest, health benefits, but I won't go into that.
00:26:20 Sarah Jo More
'cause that's not important to me, it's just that.
00:26:23 Sarah Jo More
It's it's like the bringing it back to like the the good old days and then in the normal ways of making bread.
00:26:31 Ben Nusz
So handmade every loaf handmade.
00:26:33 Sarah Jo More
Hand shaped, you got it baked on a stone hearth.
00:26:38 Sarah Jo More
Ready to rock.
00:26:40 Michael Witte
So you've got a team now and.
00:26:44 Michael Witte
In the early days of the team, you know we're talking about no planning, no management, yeah.
00:26:50 Michael Witte
How how hard was it for you to delegate?
00:26:54 Sarah Jo More
I I don't have a hard time being like hey, you need to do this.
00:26:59 Sarah Jo More
This is how things are done.
00:27:00 Sarah Jo More
I I really love.
00:27:02 Sarah Jo More
Organizing and creating like checklists.
00:27:04 Sarah Jo More
Love them, laminate them.
00:27:06 Sarah Jo More
It's great, so I like organizing and making sure that everyone knows exactly what they're supposed to be doing in a certain timeframe.
00:27:14 Sarah Jo More
And you know how how it runs.
00:27:15 Sarah Jo More
So I enjoy doing that.
00:27:18 Sarah Jo More
As far as delegating tasks, there's a lot of things that were hard to give.
00:27:22 Sarah Jo More
Up such as.
00:27:23 Sarah Jo More
Baking like I still bake.
00:27:26 Sarah Jo More
I make sure that I'm in.
00:27:27 Sarah Jo More
I'm in the kitchen every single day.
00:27:29 Sarah Jo More
Except for Sundays.
00:27:30 Sarah Jo More
But, uh, make sure that I'm in the kitchen with my apron on at least once or twice a week.
00:27:35 Sarah Jo More
Just because it's important, right?
00:27:37 Sarah Jo More
So I don't necessarily need to be making the cookies, but I have to make sure that, like you know, it's like a chef like you, you gotta be in there, right?
00:27:47 Sarah Jo More
But I don't know.
00:27:47 Sarah Jo More
I like, I mean, baking.
00:27:49 Sarah Jo More
Different, it's you measure things out.
00:27:51 Sarah Jo More
You really like.
00:27:51 Sarah Jo More
Everything is the same exact way.
00:27:53 Sarah Jo More
Same as like you know the next time.
00:27:56 Sarah Jo More
But I I make sure that I'm in there at least once or twice a week with my apron on.
00:27:59 Sarah Jo More
I love doing dishes and like cleaning up after people funny enough and just like restocking ingredients and making sure everybody is like set and organized for the next day.
00:28:08 Sarah Jo More
Uhm so yeah.
00:28:10 Sarah Jo More
I mean, going from baking was like what I signed up for right to like now I'm more, uh.
00:28:18 Sarah Jo More
I focus a lot on like social media and marketing and newsletters and really connecting with my customers and making sure that we're showing up in the best way possible for this community.
00:28:30 Ben Nusz
Let's take a second to double click on your social media presence.
00:28:34 Ben Nusz
When I think of local influencers and the brand that you've created for me made Main Grain Bakery is top of my mind, I think that I could pick a main grain post out of my feed.
00:28:46 Ben Nusz
If you stripped away all the texts, I know exactly that it's you and it's your brand.
00:28:49 Ben Nusz
Do you?
00:28:50 Ben Nusz
Do you have a brand philosophy and.
00:28:54 Ben Nusz
Also, how did you become so savvy in this?
00:28:57 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, I think like branding to me is to like how you present yourself and your business to this community, right?
00:29:05 Sarah Jo More
Or you know to online or wherever consistency is key like even with our I I call this the booth test like at the farm fresh or the.
00:29:17 Sarah Jo More
Farm shed local food fair.
00:29:19 Sarah Jo More
I set up our entire booth like two years ago and I put everything on the table and then I realized I don't even have a sign or like my logo like.
00:29:29 Sarah Jo More
What? It’s kind of like, well, you can tell that's Main.
00:29:31 Sarah Jo More
Grain right and?
00:29:32 Sarah Jo More
So it's kind of like can you tell it's your business without your business name or logo, right?
00:29:38 Sarah Jo More
And so and people were coming out like oh Main Grain table is like, OK, cool, we passed right?
00:29:40 Sarah Jo More
Right?
00:29:43 Sarah Jo More
That's the booth.
00:29:44 Sarah Jo More
Test you're.
00:29:45 Sarah Jo More
Can you set up a table and do people know who you are? because you know to be consistent.
00:29:52 Sarah Jo More
With your branding and their colors fonts, your logo, things like that, and sort of keeping everything under one roof.
00:29:59 Sarah Jo More
Creates, I think, trust within your customers.
00:30:03 Sarah Jo More
Uhm, and the more you're consistent, the more they trust you.
00:30:07 Sarah Jo More
The more you’re I guess you just sort of like.
00:30:11 Sarah Jo More
Don't change things too often.
00:30:13 Sarah Jo More
For example, like our newsletters are always the same, they look the same.
00:30:16 Sarah Jo More
They give different information, but you can count on them to be like consistent throughout.
00:30:22 Ben Nusz
So, let's shift a bit and talk about Central City Market.
00:30:27 Ben Nusz
So, take us back to the beginning of this project and how you get involved and and obviously give us a little definition of what's going.
00:30:36 Ben Nusz
On there.
00:30:36 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, so as you can tell, I mean we have maxed our space right now, like my office is in the kitchen.
00:30:42 Sarah Jo More
We are using every ounch and square footage of that space.
00:30:47 Sarah Jo More
We've even pushed our counter all the way up to that window because we have a walk up window now because of COVID and it's not.
00:30:55 Sarah Jo More
It doesn't make sense for us to move it all back and then move our location, so we're going to keep it as is.
00:31:00 Sarah Jo More
But we've been looking for a new location for quite a while, and I honestly, we looked at multiple places.
00:31:06 Sarah Jo More
We were pretty close with moving forward with a few.
00:31:09 Sarah Jo More
Of them, but nothing ever felt right until I attended my first meeting at, with, Central City Market, which wasn't.
00:31:16 Sarah Jo More
We didn't have a name for it at that time, but I I was like.
00:31:21 Sarah Jo More
This is an old building.
00:31:23 Sarah Jo More
This is a project, but I was like this.
00:31:26 Sarah Jo More
Something about this feels right to me and if it feels right I'm going to keep going.
00:31:30 Sarah Jo More
If it doesn't, I'm not going to be there, right?
00:31:33 Sarah Jo More
And so we created that cooperative.
00:31:36 Sarah Jo More
So there's five other businesses, or six other businesses involved.
00:31:39 Sarah Jo More
And it's on Madison Street if you're familiar with belts, it's just east of that, and it's an old.
00:31:49 Sarah Jo More
Uhm, brick building that we're renovating and there's four businesses that are currently working out of it right now.
00:31:58 Sarah Jo More
And then two businesses that have yet to go in so Main Grain Bakery and Company Cooperative, which is going to be our bakery obviously.
00:32:04 Sarah Jo More
And then also like a taproom.
00:32:07 Ben Nusz
So high level there's this old big brick building and it's going to be torn down.
00:32:13 Ben Nusz
Yeah, be just because it was had fallen into disrepair, and I mean what were the the signs that you got that this building deserved to be saved and needed to to continue to be a part of this community?
00:32:26 Sarah Jo More
So, Altenburg Dairy operates out of there and has been for quite some time.
00:32:32 Sarah Jo More
So Jim the owner.
00:32:34 Sarah Jo More
Graciously handed over this land and the property for $1.00.
00:32:39 Sarah Jo More
And we're like that is very generous of you, and so we we didn't want to see this building go.
00:32:46 Sarah Jo More
And I also had, you know, I also have ideas for buildings in even that vicinity down the road.
00:32:52 Sarah Jo More
There's like a few that I have my eye on that I'm like this space or this part of the community could be very vibrant.
00:32:59 Sarah Jo More
Right, and so we have our downtown.
00:33:02 Sarah Jo More
It's popping.
00:33:02 Sarah Jo More
I'm slightly jealous that we're moving across town, but I'm excited to see where this goes so you know, you have your little pockets and big.
00:33:10 Sarah Jo More
Cities of you go to this location.
00:33:12 Sarah Jo More
There's a few things over here and then you you know you could drive across town and so I kind of want to create that for Stevens Point.
00:33:17 Sarah Jo More
That was sort of our vision of like what is Madison St going to be like in 10 years and so keeping that building there and having that story.
00:33:25 Sarah Jo More
To go with.
00:33:25 Sarah Jo More
It we have opportunities to be downtown in that.
00:33:29 Sarah Jo More
Space across the street.
00:33:31 Sarah Jo More
From Mid-State, but where is this story in that, right?
00:33:34 Sarah Jo More
So that's like what what I love to tell.
00:33:38 Sarah Jo More
And so I think that's a huge part of it.
00:33:40 Sarah Jo More
And so.
00:33:42 Sarah Jo More
When Jim gave us that opportunity, we sort of ran with it and we are like there's really no looking back.
00:33:49 Sarah Jo More
And yeah, I mean there were definitely bumps in the road to.
00:33:51 Sarah Jo More
Figure out contractors and and now there's labor shortages and COVID is is not in our favor, but it's a slow process, but it's going to be worth it in the end and I'm just excited to see.
00:34:03 Sarah Jo More
Uhm, you know.
00:34:04 Sarah Jo More
Even when Heavens to Betsy opened, it was just cool to see the hustle and bustle on that street.
00:34:10 Sarah Jo More
You know, for a few days there of of their grand opening, it was really fun.
00:34:13 Sarah Jo More
To see a light.
00:34:16 Ben Nusz
So give us the.
00:34:16 Ben Nusz
Broader vision of Main Grain in that space, you're going to have bigger bakery.
00:34:22 Ben Nusz
You're going.
00:34:23 Ben Nusz
To have a place.
00:34:23 Sarah Jo More
To eat?
00:34:25 Sarah Jo More
You'll have an office.
00:34:27 Ben Nusz
OK. *laughs*
00:34:29 Ben Nusz
But I'm not gonna hang out in the office.
00:34:31 Ben Nusz
Where am I gonna be?
00:34:31 Sarah Jo More
Yes, you are, no.
00:34:34 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, so we'll.
00:34:35 Sarah Jo More
It'll be about twice the size of our bakery right now, so meaning we'll have a kitchen.
00:34:40 Sarah Jo More
Not that we're going to be, you know, doubling our product or we're going to be this big.
00:34:47 Sarah Jo More
You know corporate business.
00:34:48 Michael Witte
You're not going commercial on us.
00:34:50 Sarah Jo More
Right exactly so, uhm, I want it to be efficient right now.
00:34:54 Sarah Jo More
We don't have an efficient space because we're doing so much with so little and it's all working out just fine.
00:35:01 Sarah Jo More
But it's just inefficient, right?
00:35:03 Sarah Jo More
You have to take the lemons out so you fit the cake in and all the stuff in that refrigerator is you have to rearrange things so we do what we can.
00:35:10 Sarah Jo More
But so we're just excited to make an efficient kitchen, and so you'll enter and to the right will be the Main Grain Bakery.
00:35:18 Sarah Jo More
And to the left will be the tap room.
00:35:20 Sarah Jo More
And so.
00:35:22 Sarah Jo More
We'll keep our open kitchen concept like we have right now.
00:35:25 Sarah Jo More
Maybe there will be a little bit of glass barrier, but otherwise you'll be able to see us in the in the kitchen.
00:35:31 Sarah Jo More
We'll have new products.
00:35:32 Sarah Jo More
We'll keep our pizzas.
00:35:33 Sarah Jo More
We'll keep our toast, but more on a daily basis.
00:35:37 Sarah Jo More
Right now.
00:35:38 Sarah Jo More
That's a lot of like special events or special orders.
00:35:40 Sarah Jo More
Or maybe we just do pizza on Fridays.
00:35:43 Sarah Jo More
But in the new space, that'll be more.
00:35:45 Sarah Jo More
You'll see that more often, more like a daily option, and then we'll have like croissants and perhaps some baked doughnuts, and so more exciting baked goods, more of them and longer hours as well so.
00:36:02 Ben Nusz
So how far along is the project and what's the kind of timeline?
00:36:08 Sarah Jo More
We're hoping to be in there and perhaps oh this is going to be hard 'cause I don't want.
00:36:13 Sarah Jo More
To set anybody up before.
00:36:15 Ben Nusz
*laughs* Give me a season?
00:36:17 Sarah Jo More
Spring, let's say spring.
00:36:18 Michael Witte
Open first.
00:36:19 Sarah Jo More
Let's cross our fingers for spring.
00:36:21 Ben Nusz
Spring 2022 awesome.
00:36:24 Sarah Jo More
Yeah yeah, hopefully I mean it's great because we have the opportunity to slowly move things over.
00:36:31 Sarah Jo More
You know it's not like we're like.
00:36:32 Sarah Jo More
I mean we're renting it, but we also own the building too, so there's a little bit of leeway there, which is really helpful.
00:36:39 Ben Nusz
So tell us about.
00:36:42 Ben Nusz
This cooperative model of of ownership and how people can partner on this project.
00:36:49 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, so right now there is some.
00:36:52 Sarah Jo More
Altenburg Dairy, Heavens to Betsy, Tapped Maple Syrup, Main Grain Bakery, Upstream Cider and then Company Cooperative.
00:37:00 Sarah Jo More
I think that's six or seven.
00:37:02 Sarah Jo More
So between us and there's a few, Fed Up Foods is also going to be in a commercial kitchen that we're.
00:37:07 Sarah Jo More
Going to put together.
00:37:08 Sarah Jo More
There as well and and so.
00:37:11 Sarah Jo More
And the Co-op so the Co-op the SBA Co-op has.
00:37:15 Sarah Jo More
Their back stock in there right now, which is helpful for them.
00:37:19 Sarah Jo More
And so between the seven or eight of us, we all collectively own a portion of that building.
00:37:24 Sarah Jo More
We also have investors as well, so those that invested in the space also own a portion of it, right?
00:37:31 Sarah Jo More
So it's not just like, oh, you know eight businesses own this building.
00:37:35 Sarah Jo More
It's like Stevens Point owns this building, which is a really cool way to think of it so.
00:37:39 Sarah Jo More
There's still opportunity for investment if that interests anybody.
00:37:42 Sarah Jo More
So we have a few phases that were kind of phase.
00:37:46 Sarah Jo More
One is complete.
00:37:47 Sarah Jo More
Phase two is almost complete, and then we're going to go into phase three and potentially phase four.
00:37:51 Sarah Jo More
If you know whatever that means.
00:37:55 Sarah Jo More
Options are endless.
00:37:56 Michael Witte
So in this process I, I mean, you said this has been three years.
00:38:00 Michael Witte
You've been sitting there.
00:38:02 Michael Witte
Talking through this and how's your team feeling about this?
00:38:07 Michael Witte
I mean is this something.
00:38:09 Michael Witte
That you know are there?
00:38:11 Michael Witte
Is it bittersweet you're you've kind of made home here but you're moving there?
00:38:16 Michael Witte
How, how, how does the rest of the.
00:38:18 Michael Witte
Group feel?
00:38:19 Sarah Jo More
I think they're, well, I know that they're all very excited.
00:38:22 Sarah Jo More
We almost can't wait, right?
00:38:23 Sarah Jo More
So we initially thought it was going to be a little bit quicker than what it is, but.
00:38:28 Sarah Jo More
We can't control this situation.
00:38:30 Sarah Jo More
Of you know the painters not showing up or whatever it may be and and so.
00:38:38 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, they're they're definitely excited.
00:38:39 Sarah Jo More
So there's a.
00:38:40 Sarah Jo More
Few of them.
00:38:41 Sarah Jo More
Some of the managers that really see the vision and and we talk about it a lot.
00:38:46 Sarah Jo More
And so yeah, they're all on board.
00:38:48 Sarah Jo More
They're all excited, yeah.
00:38:49 Sarah Jo More
I mean the old.
00:38:50 Sarah Jo More
Place has a lot of history, right?
00:38:51 Sarah Jo More
It's it's going to be sad to leave, but it gave us what we needed, and it definitely served as well.
00:38:58 Sarah Jo More
We're just ready for the next step.
00:39:01 Ben Nusz
So what's next for Main Grain Bakery?
00:39:06 Sarah Jo More
I mean like even just going back to handing over a lot of the tasks that I used to do right?
00:39:13 Sarah Jo More
So what I really like to focus on, and I mentioned this earlier, is just like marketing our products and and in writing our newsletters and sharing.
00:39:24 Sarah Jo More
A lot of even just like my personal life with my customers and really honing in on our social media, and I feel like we're a little entertaining sometimes.
00:39:34 Sarah Jo More
And so I, I think that's fun for some.
00:39:36 Sarah Jo More
People and so for me I've I just did my first workshop in the new space, which is really really fun just talking about.
00:39:46 Sarah Jo More
Uhm, sort of like kind of what I'm going through right now.
00:39:50 Sarah Jo More
Of like I I like what, what do I do now, right?
00:39:55 Sarah Jo More
Like I've delegated a lot of my tasks and so what does that mean for me?
00:39:59 Sarah Jo More
So you know, I guess I started a little dog training business on the side, which takes up a lot of my time and I really, really enjoy it.
00:40:08 Sarah Jo More
And so you know what?
00:40:10 Sarah Jo More
So as a leader like what are my roles and responsibilities?
00:40:13 Sarah Jo More
And so honestly like?
00:40:14 Sarah Jo More
I'm sort of figuring that out right now, which is super fun.
00:40:17 Sarah Jo More
It's kind of like starting over, like if I want to bake.
00:40:20 Sarah Jo More
Of course I can if I want to be in the kitchen, I I obviously go for the gold, right?
00:40:26 Sarah Jo More
But there's a lot of things.
00:40:27 Sarah Jo More
That's why I'm like.
00:40:28 Sarah Jo More
I'll have an office because there'll be a lot more of things like this or teaching opportunities and and so I'm I'm just really excited to see where that takes me, and I think that's where I'm slowly going.
00:40:41 Sarah Jo More
Obviously the bakery will always be here.
00:40:45 Sarah Jo More
And we'll always have the oatmeal cream pies forever and for always.
00:40:46 Ben Nusz
*laughs* Is that a promise?
*End of interview*
00:40:57 Ben Nusz
Thank you for listening to Profile Central Wisconsin.
00:41:00 Ben Nusz
Special thanks to Sarah Jo from the Main Grain Bakery and to Michael Witte for joining me in this conversation.
00:41:06 Ben Nusz
Profile is a production of Mid-State Technical College.
00:41:09 Ben Nusz
Out of the Stevens Point campus.
00:41:11 Ben Nusz
If you want to learn.
00:41:12 Ben Nusz
To make delicious creations like Sarah Jo, consider registering for our new culinary arts program.
00:41:19 Ben Nusz
Hands on activities include opportunities to apply culinary skills and plan menus, plan events, produce sales and marketing products, draft budgets, practice effective management and customer service, and participate in an industry related internship. Visit mstc.edu/programs to learn more. To learn more about the Portage.
00:41:39 Ben Nusz
County Business Council and everything they're doing to connect and grow our business community.
00:41:44 Ben Nusz
Visit portagecountybiz.com that's biz with a ‘z.’
00:41:48 Ben Nusz
Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on Stitcher.
00:41:50 Ben Nusz
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00:41:52 Ben Nusz
Or wherever you consume your audio media.
00:41:55 Ben Nusz
It's the mission of Mid-State Technical College to transform lives through the power of teaching and learning.
00:42:00 Ben Nusz
Help us work toward that goal by sharing this story.
00:42:04 Ben Nusz
Thanks for listening.
*interview resumes*
00:42:11 Ben Nusz
What I want is I just want the end of the baguette.
00:42:14 Ben Nusz
Yes, yeah, so I wish I could just like a bag of baguette ends.
00:42:18 Ben Nusz
*laughs* Just the ends.
00:42:20 Sarah Jo More
Baguette butts.
00:42:22 Ben Nusz
And maybe you just cook very short.
00:42:23 Ben Nusz
Baguettes and then cut them in half.
00:42:25 Ben Nusz
And it would be.
00:42:26 Ben Nusz
Very clever.
00:42:27 Sarah Jo More
Yeah, and then they're like, but where's the full?
00:42:29 Sarah Jo More
But we don't.
00:42:29 Sarah Jo More
Make those we.
00:42:30 Sarah Jo More
Just do the butts.