Expand Magazine - Volume 6 Issue 2

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Small Business spotlight
C
rumb. is a small-batched scratch bakery
established in Sioux City, Iowa. Their bakery
offers a wide variety of baked goods, from
cookies and bars to cakes and cheesecakes.
They even provide catering for small groups
and events. They find joy in sharing homemade goods
with their family and friends. This was the motivation
for starting the business, to expand it to include more
people. This is still a part-time operation, but they are
driven each day by the reaction of their customers. It is
about being part of a significant milestone, brightening
someone’s day, or just creating a memory.
Crumb. is unique regarding the products they offer,
taking a traditional item and putting their spin on it.
For example, they make a sauce for their cheesecakes
based on a margarita recipe they tried during the
pandemic. Likewise, their Toasted S’mores cookies
were born out of an idea to capture fall nights around
the campfire. They look for inspiration in the items they
make from their experiences. Their biggest challenge
has been figuring out what items will sell the best at
events; predicting demand has been difficult because
Crumb Cheesecakes.
Lexa and Jake Hawkins.
it changes from week to week or event to event. Their
greatest reward has been the feedback they receive
from their customers. When they share their stories
about how their products have been a part of a
celebration or caused a tiff over who got the last bite
as part of a family evening, those are the stories that
make it all worth it.
The community has been a great support, from
individuals to other businesses. Over the past few
years, they have been fortunate enough to participate
in the entrepreneurial ecosystem that is present in
Sioux City. When they moved into their commercial
kitchen space, help from entrepreneurs like Matt and
Amy Thompson, owners of ArtSUX, and the Rent Relief
Program from Downtown Partners made the move
possible. Ongoing support on spreading the word
about their business and educational programs offered
by Iowa’s West Coast Initiative and the Siouxland
Chamber of Commerce have been invaluable. Then
there is the Sioux City Farmer’s Market, it has been a
fantastic place for them to grow their business. Their
experience with the farmer’s market is on the list as
being the most influential experience. It is where, as
a small business, they get to interact with the farmer’s
market community, and have the chance to work on
their business in real-time.