Local baker set to bake for a national audience next week

LAKE MILLS — A Lake Mills pie maker will be baking for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next week.

“It’s been crazy but kind of wonderful,” Kelly Deem, the founder and owner of Elsie Mae’s Sweet Shop, said.

The process to apply for an opportunity started two years ago, according to Deem. Still, she only just found out last month that she would officially be baking for the RNC. Deem said it’s a cool opportunity.

“It doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on with this,” Deem said. “This is a part of society where we make changes.”

Onsite, Deem will have a replica of her kitchen to do all of her baking. She will have allotted time to bake and sell her pies. She will be baking for around 50,000 people.

She is learning more about what the process will look like just weeks before the event. But Deem said she’s excited to be on ground level with an official audience.

“This is exciting, and it’s gonna all be worth it.”

She has a wide selection on her normal menu, but for an event like this, Deem wants to focus on pies and ingredients from Wisconsin.

Deem said she’s always been a big advocate for her business. She tries to keep track of policy changes that affect her business, because small businesses are still impacted by laws governing major businesses.

Deem is concerned with advocacy because there are some businesses “who think they’re too small to have a voice.” She has been a part of the Wisconsin Women’s Business Association to support other women owned businesses.

Deem didn’t start her professional career as a baker. She was a fisheries biologist for 11 years, where she got to work enforcing the Clean Water Act. Deem said that job got too political for her, but she still wanted to make an impact. She opened a bake shop in Kenosha, purposely employing at-risk youth and mothers who wanted to work flexible hours while going back to school.

Deem stayed in Kenosha for 10 years before moving to Brady St in downtown Milwaukee. After a few years, she came to Lake Mills. When Deem first saw Lake Mills, she said she “fell in love” with the property.

Besides the RNC, Deem stays busy with baking and orders. She has a Door County shop and a lot of online orders. She sells her pies at local businesses like Simple Kup and Daydream Believer. She tries to spread her connections through selling at small independent grocery stores and catering for events like weddings.

Paul Romagna, who works with Deem, said there has been much happening for Elsie Mae’s, with a new storefront opening in Lake Mills and the RNC coming up.

“It’s been kind of surreal how fast this is growing,” Romagna said.

Additionally, she was selected this year to compete in the World Food Championships, which is the main international Food Sport event. These championships will take place in Indianapolis in November. Deem said she is looking forward to that.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

With all of these opportunities for Elsie Mae’s, Deem said they are in need of more employees. They want people who are willing to bake full time and handle all of the demand that comes with the shop. Maria, one of the bakers, said she really enjoys her work at Elsie Mae’s.

“I am happy with this job. I like everything I do.”