Kafe adds sweet tooth to campus crust
Jennifer Washburn
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: News
What started out as a hobby has turned into a full time business for one Macomb couple.
Debbie and Aaron Hix are the owners of the new Kakes Kafe & Bakery, located at 24 West Side Square, a few doors south of the Ford Hopkins Drug Store.
Originally from Joliet, Ill., Debbie Hix said her path to becoming a business owner began in 2005 when her family convinced her to share her baking talent with the community.
"I have been baking forever," she said. "I started with my mom."
Hix started by taking her baked goods to the Burlington, Iowa Farmer's Market and soon started selling at six farmer's markets a week. In the summer of 2005, her son David helped her open the doors of Kakes Kafe & Bakery in Monmouth, Ill., which has become a staple in the community.
"I never thought about opening a business, I just loved to bake," she said.
Two months ago, she decided to expand her business into Macomb because she liked the small-town feel of the
community, which she had
gotten to know by selling her cakes and pies at the local farmer's market.
Despite only being open a short time, Hix said she's already built up a regular clientele, who stop in for a bite to eat whether they are shopping on the Square or just have some time to spare on their lunch break.
The café and bakery, located in the former location of the Secret Garden Tea Room and Florist, can easily be overlooked because it's tucked in the back of a complex of different businesses that include Middle Earth Vitamins and R & R Spa.
Kakes' menu includes breakfast items such as a bagel with egg, cheese and a choice of ham, sausage or bacon. Lunch favorites include a wide variety of soups and sandwiches as well as turkey, ham and tuna wraps.
Of course, the most popular items at Kakes are the baked goods, which include brownies, rice crispy treats, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, homemade bread, cookies and fudge, as well as cakes.
"Cakes are custom made. We do keep some in stock, but we prefer people to call for orders," Hix said.
The type of cake can vary depending on what the customer wants, Hix explained. She said that typically customers order traditional birthday and wedding cakes, but she also makes novelty cakes for other occasions.
Debbie and Aaron Hix are the owners of the new Kakes Kafe & Bakery, located at 24 West Side Square, a few doors south of the Ford Hopkins Drug Store.
Originally from Joliet, Ill., Debbie Hix said her path to becoming a business owner began in 2005 when her family convinced her to share her baking talent with the community.
"I have been baking forever," she said. "I started with my mom."
Hix started by taking her baked goods to the Burlington, Iowa Farmer's Market and soon started selling at six farmer's markets a week. In the summer of 2005, her son David helped her open the doors of Kakes Kafe & Bakery in Monmouth, Ill., which has become a staple in the community.
"I never thought about opening a business, I just loved to bake," she said.
Two months ago, she decided to expand her business into Macomb because she liked the small-town feel of the
community, which she had
gotten to know by selling her cakes and pies at the local farmer's market.
Despite only being open a short time, Hix said she's already built up a regular clientele, who stop in for a bite to eat whether they are shopping on the Square or just have some time to spare on their lunch break.
The café and bakery, located in the former location of the Secret Garden Tea Room and Florist, can easily be overlooked because it's tucked in the back of a complex of different businesses that include Middle Earth Vitamins and R & R Spa.
Kakes' menu includes breakfast items such as a bagel with egg, cheese and a choice of ham, sausage or bacon. Lunch favorites include a wide variety of soups and sandwiches as well as turkey, ham and tuna wraps.
Of course, the most popular items at Kakes are the baked goods, which include brownies, rice crispy treats, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, homemade bread, cookies and fudge, as well as cakes.
"Cakes are custom made. We do keep some in stock, but we prefer people to call for orders," Hix said.
The type of cake can vary depending on what the customer wants, Hix explained. She said that typically customers order traditional birthday and wedding cakes, but she also makes novelty cakes for other occasions.
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