In 2021, Carrie Kehoe and her husband, Chris Flaten, opened Beez Neez Cheesecake and Sweets in Eleva, Wisconsin. This bakery business brings lots of unique offerings to the community. Carrie focuses on baking and Chris handles the logistics. In 2022, they welcomed Ellie Benson to the staff to assist with baking, social media, and website marketing.
THE BUSINESS
The entrepreneurs use locally sourced, hand-picked fruits for their recipes, and include honey from their own bees and apiary (called The Wooden Bee). “We make everything from scratch to enhance the flavors and support other area businesses. We also strive to be environmentally responsible through use of solar power at Beez Neez,” Carrie said. The business has an ever-changing menu and continually adds cheesecake flavors and new cookies. They currently have over 45 cheesecake flavors in rotation and recently added flavored cinnamon rolls.
THE OBSTACLES
Getting approval for a licensed commercial kitchen on their existing property was one of the biggest obstacles they overcame on their journey. The rising cost of quality local ingredients also presents a challenge. “Due to global warming, the availability of cocoa is lessened and prices are always going up. We need to regularly revise our own pricing on goods to stay competitive and still make good business sense, Carrie said.
Accomplishments with UW-Eau Claire SBDC
- Logo design and branding strategy
- Website design
- Financial projections
THE COMMUNITY
The couple is working hard to add a mobile food truck to their operations. “Chris bought and then customized the vehicle to what we needed and we are excited to attend our first food truck event on April 28,” Carrie shared. This addition will allow them to attend community events like music in the park and attend promotional events like wedding shows where they can provide samples to increase awareness of their business.
Partnerships with places like Five & Two Cafe, River Bend Winery, Together Farms, and Chippewa Valley Floral help Beez Neez bring their quality products to many local communities. Volume One, a media company in the Chippewa Valley, supports this small business by including them on their calendar of events and more. “I love being out at events!” Carrie said. “It gives us a chance to meet our customers face-to-face and learn more about them.”
THE SUPPORT
Carrie and Chris also came to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UW-Eau Claire for marketing guidance. “We worked with interns at the SBDC who helped us realize our vision for the logo and website design. I can’t thank the SBDC enough! They were super supportive with branding and financial projections,” Carrie said.
Harlie Juedes, center director at UW-Eau Claire SBDC said, “Chris and Carrie have been a joy to work with. We are thankful for the opportunity to support them through their business journey.”
Beez Neez is heading for even more growth. They hope to hire additional staff to manage the food truck events, as well as expand their catering services through more weddings and corporate events. As the baker, Carrie continues to create new recipes, saying, “People love our signature salted honey cheesecake and many fruit varieties, and I am always striving to create even better flavors.”
