Egg Roll Chick: Pivoting toward success

Cathy VanDoorn and her husband, Gerrit, began their entrepreneurship journey running a restaurant called the Crafty Rooster. She quickly realized that the egg rolls on the restaurant’s menu were the biggest draw, and she didn’t need 4,000 square feet of dining space to succeed, so she pivoted toward running a food truck to sell egg rolls instead. Then, in April 2025, she pivoted again to open a brick-and-mortar storefront to sell her egg rolls. Now Egg Roll Chick in Holcombe, Wisconsin, is thriving.

All of Cathy’s egg rolls are handmade and use her own recipes. She said, “There is a lack of quality food available in the area, so I knew that Egg Roll Chick was solving a need in the community. I use quality ingredients and strive to make my handmade egg rolls unique.”

“One challenge I have is time,” Cathy said. “Currently, I do the work myself. It has been really hard for me to let go of making the food; for example, I don’t really want anyone else to be rolling my egg rolls but me. However, I realize I can’t expand unless I give up some of that. I will need to hire help in the future so I can become more of the manager and leader and less of the do-er.”

She continued, “I also live two hours away from the shop, so I have to limit the shop hours to Wednesday through Saturday. And, we typically sell out of 100% of our frozen egg roll products on these four days.”

Cathy describes her struggle with making time for growth

Gerrit Van Doorn has been essential in the start-up and growth of the small business. “He built the shop, he ordered the equipment, he cleans the fryer, and he handles lots of other tasks, too,” Cathy said. That’s right, a fryer. Cathy has expanded to offer fresh, fried egg rolls on Fridays – and has also added frozen homemade pizzas for sale as well.

Cathy shared, “I am even partnering with a local business, The Pink Highland, who expressed their interest in cooking and delivering the pizzas that I create. The future holds lots of possibilities; I’ve even already been contacted by people interested in helping to franchise my business.”

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the UW-Superior has provided this small business owner with various types of assistance over the years.

In 2022, Cathy worked with SBDC’s Andy Donahue on financial projections, a business plan, and loan applications. “He helped me with the application materials for the Main Street Bounceback Grant. The $10,000 I was awarded helped establish the Crafty Rooster restaurant,” Cathy said.

Then in 2024, SBDC’s Mike Hill helped Cathy explore why she wanted to own this specific business. She said, “I knew that providing food for others came naturally to me and was something I enjoyed. It was easy to be excited about my business because Mike was truly excited about my business success. He is personable and knowledgeable, and so easy to work with.”