PERHAM — As Perham says goodbye to one business, they get to say hello to another. A bakery will be taking the place of Perham Office Supply's old space on Main Street, which recently closed at the end of March. The bakery — named Speckled Egg — is planned to open toward the end of May or the beginning of June.
"I just fell in love with being in the kitchen," said Speckled Egg owner Kateea Kysar. "I realized that I can't stay at home all day. I was like, 'I need to find something else than being a stay-at-home mom.' And so I thought, 'Why not open a business doing something that I love?' … My mom (Kaisa Foley) loves crafting and always wanted to own a craft store to sell her crafts. So I was like, 'Hey, why don't we put them together?''
Foley's crafts will be sold in a small gift shop at the Speckled Egg alongside Kysar's baked goods, which include treats such as cinnamon rolls, fresh bread, bagels, danishes, cookies, muffins and more. Since Kysar will be the only person behind the baked goods at first, it will start out as a bit of an "old-fashioned" bakery. While she won't be able to make custom cakes for everyone in the community right away, all the treats will be freshly baked each morning.
A married mother of three, Kysar has been baking since she was a teenager. Growing up in Perham with Foley, Kysar would sit with her mother in the kitchen as she opened up the recipe book and asked Kysar to make dinner.
"You can't make meals all the time, 24/7, so I just decided to bake and been loving it ever since," she remembered. "The kids just go play downstairs while I'm baking, or they sit and watch me. It's a 'me' time."
ADVERTISEMENT
In fact, the bakery's name comes from baking at home in her childhood. They used to raise quail, which lay speckled eggs. Kysar would use said eggs in her baking.
Married to Grant Kysar — a New York Mills butcher originally from Washington — Kateea Kysar has spent the past few years as a full-time mom to their three kids: Autumn, Oliver and Leah. Recently, however, after her realization that she wanted to do something more alongside her duties as a mother, she began selling her baked goods at the farmers market in Detroit Lakes. When the opportunity struck to move this small business venture into a physical location, she jumped on it.
Kysar's father actually does construction work for Perham's Dennis Happel, who happens to own the Main Street building where Perham Office Supply was previously located. Her father told Happel about Kysar's bakery wishes, and so when the space became available, Happel offered it to Kysar.
The process has been fast. Perham Office Supply officially closed on Friday, March 31. Kysar and her family immediately began to work on the building the very next day.
"I have been in here basically since Saturday (April 1)," she shared. "We've been working on this nonstop every day."
Just about a week from when the office supply store shut down, the inside looks completely different. The building has been completely gutted in preparation for its new life.
The Speckled Egg will be split into four different sections. The bakery storefront and kitchen will be on the front right side of the building, complete with black and white decor to give a clean and sleek vibe. There will be a window from the kitchen into a playroom in the back, where Kysar will be able to watch her kids while she works. Customers will have some seating to lounge at while they enjoy Kysar's baked goods.
The front left side of the building will be dedicated to the gift shop section selling Foley's crafts. This part of the building will be decorated with a rustic interior to separate it from the bakery space right next door. In the back will be a break space, complete with a couple tables and a TV. Then, there will also be a little crafting space for Foley to work and for Kysar to craft during her breaks.
ADVERTISEMENT
Foley is excited to see her daughter start this new business venture. "She's been wanting this since she was a child," she said. Even as a child, Kysar would share dreams with her mother and sister about running a business together, each doing their own specialty.
Foley continued, "I'm pretty excited for her."
Kysar herself is excited to start this new chapter in life. Since they started construction, everything has been moving fast. Before they know it, the Perham community and its summer visitors will be lining up to try out Kysar's breads and treats.
"(It's been) crazy," she laughed, reflecting on the long days of work both ahead and behind her. "I'm very excited though."
The Trust Project
