Community Profile

When Tommy Meredith was about eight or nine years old, his father signed him up for a sports tournament at the Phoenix YMCA. The tournament included swimming, running and even a card game. Meredith won the title of overall champion of his age group. He earned a five-inch high loving cup for his efforts.

He still has that trophy, which has been displayed for nearly 50 years on his headboard.

“It is a symbol to me that had an effect on my outlook for expectations in life,” he said. “It tells me if you have any kind of natural abilities, to try to use them. It motivated me and catapulted me into a future with a competitive spirit. It gave me the spirit and motivation for being competitive.”

Meredith and his wife, Joan, are familiar faces around the city of Prescott. They are the owners of the Jersey Lilly Saloon on Whiskey Row. The couple has welcomed guests there for the past 14 years.

They have been married for 53 years. She was Miss Congeniality in the 1956 Miss Arizona Pageant. Before that, she was Salad Bowl Queen, which was the precursor to the Fiesta Bowl. Tommy says she is still a beauty queen. They have two children and several grandchildren.

While Meredith was growing up, his family had ranches in Young, which incidentally is where some of the Zane Grey novels are set.

“We had the normal cattle ranch and horses to run them,” Meredith said. “I had a brother who was the real cowboy.”

In his late teens and early 20s, Tommy would go up twice a year for two-week round-ups. “It is a way of life, of course. You always have your own horse. Being out there it was just you and the cattle and your horse and the terrain,” he said. “It was fun. Rewarding. The only problem is you had newbies with you. You’d ask them to open a gate, but then they would just stand there. Cattle would not go through the gate with someone standing there.”

He said his father was also in the home-building, real estate business.

Meredith has lived in Arizona since the age of two when his parents moved from Texas. He attended Phoenix High School. He was the state wrestling champ there. He went to Arizona State University, where he lettered in wrestling and left with a degree in business.

Through the years, Meredith has been involved a lot of things, from racecars to antiques to real estate. He says it feels like he has lived three different lives and dressed differently for each. He would dress in boots and hats for his ranch life, in Ivy League shirts and slacks for his real estate life and in t-shirts and flip-flops for their summer home in San Diego. And he has always had a passion for hunting and fishing.

He and Joan came to Prescott 18 years ago. “Phoenix was getting big. I love Phoenix for what it is, but Prescott has the elevation and the pine trees, the weather and the four seasons,” he said. “We bought a summer home up here with the intention of coming up to slow down and retire.”

The couple considered starting a business with their extensive collection of antiques, which was housed in a 3,000-foot warehouse, but instead ended up buying the saloon.

“Everyone said, ‘What are you doing being in the saloon business?’ I don’t have a good answer for them,” he said. “There was a restaurant in Phoenix that we went to once a week. The owners were there all the time and I saw how they treated their customers when they came in; how they took care of them while they were there. I thought that was about right.”

He said every bar has its niche. “We just chose to be an upscale, over-30 bar. There is no food, but I spend a lot of money on popcorn.”

The saloon is on the second story with an outside balcony, which overlooks the courthouse town square and Whiskey Row. There is an elevator, but almost everyone climbs the stairs.

“The average age is over 30, but it does get younger on Friday and Saturday nights late,” he said. “It is a local bar on weekdays and we get tourists and day-trippers from Phoenix trying to get out of the heat. We do a fairly good job taking care of locals as well as tourists.”

Meredith is involved in local politics and the Prescott Downtown Partnership where he serves on the board, but the thing of which he is most proud is leading the charge to light up the trees on the town square during the holidays.

Meredith said six or seven years ago, he was complaining at a City Council meeting that the city was not doing enough to light up the trees, which was a shame since former Governor Rose Moffett had named Prescott a Christmas City.

“I just made the statement to them that we need to look like the Christmas City and needed a lot more money,” he said. “One of the councilmen said, ‘Tommy, Why don’t you do something about it?’ It sounded negative, so I said, ‘Mr. Councilman, I may do something about it.’”

He kicked off a fundraiser that sells paper light bulbs to customers, which are placed on display in the bar with the donor’s name written on them. During the campaign, the bar is covered with them.

“The first year, we raised $1,500. The last two years, we were right at $17,000. I’m kind of proud of that,” he said.

He said the newspaper gives them ad space and there are two kick-off parties, one of which is an auction and one during the holiday season. The trees are lighted from December to January.

“We have a lot of activities,” he said.

While on of the subject of fundraising, Joan and Tommy allow the use of their bar for a variety of fundraisers. “We donate space. We also do a lot of weddings and anniversaries and things like that,” he said.

Would he sell the saloon? His answer is “maybe.” He will turn 76 in July. “I’m getting to the point where we could talk,” Meredith said. QCBN

 

When Eric Moore was a child, he was fascinated by birds at the feeder in his yard. “I started when I was about five years old. It’s been a lifelong interest,” he said.

 

The older he got, the more his interest grew. “I would build a blind like hunters or photographers use and started doing bird photos at 12 or 13 and doing bird recordings when I was 14 or 15.”

 

Moore joined the Tucson Audubon Society when he was 13. He was teased by other kids about his interest, the adults took him under their wings and helped develop his passion.

 

Today, Moore is the owner of Jay’s Bird Barn in both Prescott and Sedona. These unique stores are all about feeding and enjoying wild birds.

 

“We opened the Prescott store in October 2003 and the Sedona store in 2010,” he said.

 

And business has been “phenomenal.”

 

“Our typical customers are retirees who have disposable time and disposable income. They are well educated and they are interested in the natural world. They have found birds to be a way to connect with nature. It is something they can do in the comfort of their homes. They can sit inside drinking their morning coffee watching birds at the bird feeder. It’s a low-impact activity.”

 

Bird watchers seeking more activity can take hikes or sign up for organized bird-watching events. A lot of people who are shut-in or elderly also can enjoy the activity, he said. Many of his customers are involved in the Audubon Society. The local chapter includes Prescott, Sedona and Flagstaff.

 

At the moment, Moore is in charge of publicity for the organization, educating the public, leading guided walks and promoting Audubon activities in the community. He is also a supporter of the Highland Nature Center where he teaches classes, leads bird walks and helps raise funds by donating his time and money.

 

“I help them achieve their mission of connecting people with nature,” he said.

 

Especially important is their outreach to children, he says – teaching them to be good stewards of the land.

 

The best way to attract birds to your yard, says Moore, is to provide water year around.

 

“Every month of the year is important for water.”

 

Next, a bird feeder would help attract seed-eating birds or suet for insect-eating types.

 

“You can attract a wider variety of birds with a wider variety of food products you offer.”

 

But those who are serious about bird watching should be careful about the seed they buy. Moore mixes the feed himself for different areas of Northern Arizona, identifying the right mix for birds in the forest and a different mix for birds in the grasslands, for example.

 

“The first thing we ask you is where you live,” he said. “Bird feeding is our core business. We don’t sell videos, clothes or toilet paper. All of our employees are birders and are passionate about birds, enjoy nature and are super knowledgeable. We love what we do and we love to share our knowledge and expertise.”

 

Asking Moore to name his favorite bird is like asking a parent to name his favorite child. “There is no way I can pick one bird. There are so many spectacular, incredible birds. I love them all. I get excited about seeing birds.”

 

Moore notes that we need birds more than they need us. “We want to invite nature into our lives. They are wild animals. They can feed themselves. It’s a way for us to connect with nature and we get to enjoy them.”

 

He said some wild birds are endangered not because of a lack of food, but because of the destruction of their habitat through development and other human activity.

 

Besides offering bird food, the stores offer optics, binoculars and scopes to help watch birds. QCBN

 

 

 

Jay’s Bird Barn is in Prescott at 1046 Willow Creek Road #105. In Sedona it is at 2360 W. Highway 89 #B-1.To learn more visit www.Jaysbirdbarn.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 When uncertain economic times coupled with personal setbacks call for resilience in the work environment, Luther Kraxberger can go to the front of the line.

Upon completing his aeronautics coursework, the former Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student was notified that the position he had interned for was eliminated at Lockheed Martin, a casualty of the softened demand for technology systems and products. This disheartening announcement, simultaneously combined with a motorcycle accident in which he broke his spine in nine places, put his goal of becoming a pilot in serious jeopardy.

“My purpose in coming to Prescott in fall of 2005 was to attend Embry-Riddle,” said Kraxberger, a native of Beavercreek, Ore. “And the experience I had as a student was excellent. I was among very bright, like-minded peers who saw their future in the aeronautics industry.”

Kraxberger was up for the challenge of attending Precott’s Embry-Riddle, a school he deems “one of the very best aviation and aerospace universities in the country.” But what he could not anticipate was the looming downturn in the technology industry. He also recognized that his flying medical qualification was in question because of the seriousness of his accident injuries, something he never imagined could happen.

“The silver lining in all this was that I minored in business at Embry-Riddle,” Kraxberger said. “In particular, after taking a microeconomics class from Dr. Ricardo Carraras, I discovered I had a genuine interest in business and the way the world of finance works. I still loved flying but came to see it more as a hobby rather than my daily work. I had a special interest in some facet of corporate flying but gradually envisioned myself as the one being flown – by someone else! So, not securing employment with Lockheed Martin, in addition to breaking my back, prompted me to look elsewhere for my career path.”

With his business minor he was prepared to make the switch, first dabbling in the stock market and later in small businesses that – impacted by the same weak economy – did not prove fruitful.

“Then a friend who worked locally for Keller Williams Check Realty called me and suggested that I should be working in real estate with him,” Kraxberger said. “However, rather than fighting the distressed economy, my friend and his team of realtors, specializing in foreclosed properties, had more work than they could handle. I wasn’t a licensed realtor at the time, but it was a great introduction into the real estate business.”

Continually taking on more and making new contacts, through Kraxberger’s position as president of the Pronghorn Ranch Homeowners Association, another opportunity presented itself when a client investor asked him to sell investment properties. “This was the catalyst for me to get a real estate license,” Kraxberger said. He returned to school, earned his license and began selling homes for his client.

“Starting off was more challenging than I thought it would be,” he said. “As I dove deeper into my work, I realized more and more that in order to be successful in real estate, I would have to treat it more like a business than a sales job. I found that by creating systems for my everyday processes, I could be more efficient – and more successful.”

Kraxberger also began attending supplemental business and real estate classes and poring through the resources that Keller Williams offered. “I have been able to glean information from some of the top agents in the country,” he said. “All of this has fortified my understanding that real estate is a true business and that success only comes through hard work and perseverance.”

Although he says real estate will always be part of his business portfolio, he believes there are countless opportunities in the business field. “Currently, I have several ideas that may become actual businesses, and for the time being, I will continue evaluating every opportunity that comes my way. I think that just being young and in Prescott allows me many opportunities that larger cities cannot offer.” QCBN

 

Editor’s Note: Kraxberger and his wife, Rebecca, have a one-and-a-half-year-old son, Sawyer, and are expecting another baby at this time. He can be reached at 503-347-4755; 928-275-1657; or Kraxberger@kw.com.

 

 

By Frederick Michaels

Quad Cities Business News

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debra Campbell acknowledges being a latent pet lover. It was not until she was an adult that she had serious leanings toward the care, feeding and spoiling of dogs, cats and horses.

Now, the owner of TimberWoof Pet Boutique in Prescott provides items for “pets and their people.”

“Prescott is a very dog-friendly town,” she said.

She opened her first pet boutique in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. “When I moved here, I didn’t have a store for a while, but it kept calling me,” she said. “I still wanted to do something. When a place in Bashford Court opened up, I decided to go for it.”

Her shop is above the Prescott Brewery in the historic building.

Campbell grew up in Monterey, Calif. “We had one cat and later on, one small dog,” she said. “All of this kind of developed after I was an adult. I wanted my kids to grow up with animals.”

She wanted her children to have the experience of loving and caring for pets and knowing that a pet can enrich one’s life. “Dogs can teach you so much. They love you without any reservations. They don’t judge and they devote their whole life to being your best friend,” she said. “We started with a Husky, which is kind of an unusual breed to choose, but I searched and found out how loving they are and what a good family pet it could be,” she said. “We had lots of indoor kitties.”

That dog was with her for 14 years. “She grew up with the kids. She was my best friend her whole life,” Campbell said.

When she opened her pet boutique in San Juan Capistrano in 2001, the dog went to work with her every day. Now, her son and daughter are both grown and married and

“have pets of their own that go along with their families.”

Campbell found her way to Prescott while visiting her daughter who was in college in Tempe. “I kept hearing this was a good place to live, and it was.”

She shut down her original store when she moved.

“Once I got here, I really wanted to have another store,” she said. She opened TimberWoof in 2011.

Although opening a business in the middle of a recession is risky, she says business has been good. “I’m seeing things pick up slowly. I’m hoping that things continue to get better.”

Despite the ups and downs, she loves the work.

Campbell had been a legal secretary for 30 years. “That was enough for me. I needed a change. Now I deal with the public that is always coming into the store happy and eager to talk about their pets. Sometimes they bring their animals with them. It’s just a happy-type career to have. If it is something you love doing; it doesn’t feel like a job.”

She also publishes Flagstaff-Sedona Dog magazine, which is devoted to rescue animals. It helps place orphaned dogs and has stories of interest to pet owners and provides advertising space to pet-related businesses.

“I devote a lot of my life to dogs and cats. It seems to be my passion,” she said.

Campbell supports the Yavapai Humane Society and other animal organizations. Her huskies were local rescues that she adopted. “I have donation jars that benefit spay and neuter. I try to support other local merchants and businesses. I have five different artists who have their work in my store. I sell food bowls that have the image of your dog in wood,” she said. “We have jewelry, ceramics and hats all made locally.”

 

For pet lovers, she offers gifts and items that represent many different breeds of dogs, cats and horses. “We have a little western section. We have socks with dogs, coffee mugs, wallets, stationery, pillows – a lot of things for the house,” she said. “I am always looking for new merchandise for pets and their owners. We also have designer collars and harnesses for dogs and cats and dog treats.”

All treats at TimberWoof are organic, safe and made in the United States. That goes for dog toys, too. “I am very careful about not having anything from China that could be toxic,” Campbell said. QCBN

 

TimberWoof is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 928-443-9663.

 

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 The Prescott Adventure Boot Camp For Women began as a “why not now” for U.S. Army Sgt. Steve Rosen while on an April 2012 business trip. Won over in a “whopping 24 hours,” he recalled the panoramic pull of Prescott as he stood atop the hill outside Red Robin on Highway 69 while talking to his wife, Carren, on the phone. That’s when the idea of Prescott as home stirred his imagination and sparked the journey.

Where many people might bide their time and wait years to take action, this couple converted their initial “nice, but not realistic” dream into a life change. A little more than one year later and retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years, Sgt. Steve moved with Carren and their two young sons to Prescott, bought the boot camp business license and opened shop. Now, he puts the training, discipline and people skills he gained through military service for a whole new type of recruit: women ages 20+ looking for exercises to firm glutes and quads, flatten abs, decrease body fat and increase stamina.

Proper form and core stability are emphasized while the boot campers engage in light running, weight training, obstacle courses, core training and jumping rope. On special days, they stretch, hike and team exercise. Armed with a sense of adventure, they stock their arsenal with exercise mats, hand weights, water bottles and running shoes. Weekdays from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. or 8 to 9 a.m., they arrive at the Prescott Armory, 824 E. Gurley St., ready to fight for their goals. An evening camp also is offered Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The Cost of each four-week camp is $250 for 20 hours.

“Sgt. Steve has been a great influence to all of us,” said Melissa Boyd, a veteran boot camper on her second tour. “He has gotten us to do [exercises] we never thought we could. He’s dedicated. He cares. He has a good sense of humor with us ladies. I would encourage everyone to try it at least once.”

While researching the boot camp business model, Sgt. Steve was able, through mutual friends, to meet practitioners face-to-face and over the phone. The “recurring theme,” he said, is that they all loved what they did, a fact that appealed greatly to his desire to be “completely engaged in what I was doing. It doesn’t feel like work. I go off to play and have fun.”

Although his military career plays an enormous role in his credibility and leadership of the boot camps, Sgt. Steve describes his method as teaching, guiding and cheerleading versus “drilling.” Each woman is encouraged to work at her own pace, with substituted exercises and rest if needed.

“The camp is designed so that every day is different,” he said. “It’s intended to be fun and get results. My goal is to see women leading more healthy and fit lives and motivated [to work at it]. The bathroom scale needs to be thrown out. I like to see women feeling good and happy with who they are – not always checking a scale and agonizing over a number.”

About 80 percent of participants return for a second or even third camp, according to Sgt. Steve, prompting the question: what makes a boot camper want to go back?

“Everything!” said Boyd, who is in her second four-week camp. She said her favorite thing is “feeling a lot better about myself.” A smoker for 30 years, Boyd quit nearly two years ago. Now, she is focused on cardiovascular enhancement and getting herself into shape.

Boyd and her friend, Donna Clark, joined boot camp together last fall. The two women, both in their 40s, expressed enthusiasm for Sgt. Steve and the camp.

“Everyone just wants everybody to succeed,” Boyd said. “They just help push each other. There is no negativity.”

“Sgt. Steve’s energy,” Clark said. “His support. He is so great. That’s what made me continue. I am feeling amazing. I am so much stronger than I have been in a long time. I had never been able to do a push up before. The other girls in the camp help me push a little further. It makes you want to eat better.”

“Don’t be afraid of it,” Clark advises women thinking about Sgt. Steve’s boot camp as an exercise regimen. “You will be really happy with your results.” QCBN

More information about the Prescott Adventure Boot Camp is available at www.prescottbootcamp.com or by calling 778-1806.

By Sue Marceau

Quad Cities Business News

 

The journey of Janis Best optimizing her role as host of KQNA’s “AZ Girlfriend” radio show emphasizes the rewards of trial and error, persistence, collaboration, natural talent and plain hard work. It is an energizing model for chasing dreams and channeling ingenuity for change, while revealing powerful opportunities for a woman bold enough to pursue them.

Through a distinguished career in the fashion and entertainment industry, Best blended marketing moxie with merchandising experience. She began on the client side, working for a sportswear company. Her professional path ranged from head of advertising for Saks Fifth Avenue to owning an advertising agency to consulting for Maidenform on strategic marketing.   From sales meetings and group presentations to trunk shows around the globe, Best says she most enjoyed the public side of the business – meeting people and talking with them.

When Best relocated from New York City to Prescott three years ago, the big question was how to meld her expansive big city expertise with what she most enjoyed about Everybody’s Hometown. Best brought the New York lifestyle with her to Prescott. She and her husband, David Wollos, bought a loft at McCormick Place in downtown Prescott and walk their way around town. They have built out and currently are selling another unit in the building.

Best researched pets, antique gardening, jewelry making and fashion to evaluate businesses in each. The turning point in identifying her new vocation was her friendship with Terry and Sanford Cohen, owners of Arizona’s Hometown Radio Group. The Cohens had observed Best’s “queen of the trade shows” investigative routine and ultimately asked, “How about doing a show for us?”

The more that Best thought about the idea, the more she realized it “really took into account all of the things I really enjoyed” – helping people learn what to do, meeting them, interacting with them, gathering information and producing. As with many ventures beyond a comfort zone, Best debated whether she could do it. Being a guest on KQNA’s live interview show with Sandy Moss was the pivotal starting point.

“The first day as a guest on Sandy’s show, I was so nervous because the show is live,” Best said. “The topic was spring fashion. Sandy is amazing, the perfect person [for a first interview]. She is so smart, so warm, so enthusiastic. It was like sitting down with my best girlfriend. It just came so natural. It took about 10 minutes and I knew this was for me. I wanted to take the mic and start it then.”

Best was a guest for Moss a few more times and then planned the outline for her own show. One morning, while walking her dog and recalling her comfort level on the Moss show, Best decided to name her own show “AZ Girlfriend.”

Best has been hosting the show for a year, on the air at 3 p.m. Fridays on KQNA 1130 AM and 99.9 FM. She has interviewed guests about topics such as pets, health, beauty, fashion, shopping, travel, spas and real estate. The show, originating “from a place of helpfulness and fun for women,” also attracts a significant number of male listeners who want to know what appeals to their female companions or who find the topics useful. Travel destinations, heart attack symptoms and how to avoid overeating during the holidays are subjects equally important to men, Best notes.

“AZ Girlfriend is a team effort,” said Sanford Cohen, owner/general manager of KQNA. “Janis does an excellent job combining her years in the fashion and entertainment world with a spotlight on local businesses. We support her with a production team that complements her sparkling personality.”

Best also credits the team at the station – “from Sanford on down” – for the show’s success. She is grateful to Moss for initially hosting her, Bill Monroe for running the soundboard, and the advertising team for believing in her and the show.

“Bill has been really helpful to me personally to make it a really good show,” she said.  “He makes me feel good about what I do and makes it better. People in Prescott are warm, friendly and genuine. I am having an incredible time with the show.  It has been a wonderful, wonderful journey. And I am finding out that I am pretty good at it.” QCBN

Chris and Nicole Pionke have figured out how to make a good thing even better. They’ve taken delicious treats like Oreo cookies, gingerbread and red velvet cake, mixed them with frosting, dipped them in chocolate, and voilà, they’ve got cakepops!

Cakepops with sprinkles, cakepops with peanut butter, cakepops with pineapple…some 400 a day are moving through Cakepop Couture in the Prescott Gateway Mall.

The cake shop opened Sept. 1 as a result of Nicole’s dream to “bake her heart out” and Chris’s dream to share his wife’s baked goods with the world.

“We absolutely love what we’re doing,” said Chris. “Nicole is very much the back-of-the-house person. She’s in her zone baking in the kitchen. And I’m very much the front-of-the-house person. I love to interact with people.”

As the aroma of fresh baked cake wafts through the mall, Cakepop Couture has been luring in shoppers and steadily building repeat business with places like the Residence Inn Prescott where cakepops greet guests when they check into their rooms on holidays.

“When a hotel surprises guests with a special treat, it sends the message that the hotel really cares about making that experience special,” said Chris. “It makes you feel like you’re home.”

The Pionkes say they help people celebrate the most important occasions of their lives: births, weddings and anniversaries. While brides and grooms still want to have the wedding cake that they can ceremoniously cut as a couple, the growing trend is to have cakepops for their guests. Right now they are busy taking orders for holiday parties.

“With cupcakes or cake, you can have crumbs everywhere, but with cakepops the frosting really holds the cake together. A lot of people will say, ‘My cake’s not cooked through.’ But the cakepop is just super moist because of the amount of frosting used. It’s very hard for it to fall apart while they’re eating it.”

Long before Chris and Nicole considered opening a Prescott cake shop, Nicole got her hands in the batter business early on as her grandmother made wedding cakes. For Chris, it was love at first bite. “Nicole makes cakes with such love and finesse.”

The two began a catering cake business in 2010 out of Nicole’s parents’ kitchen in Chino Hills, Calif. “The first week in business we booked two weddings,” said Chris. “Both had a wedding cake, but the presentation was more centered on individual cupcakes than the cake.”

The two moved to Prescott in April and knew they had made a sweet decision when they signed their lease with the Prescott Gateway Mall.

During the holiday season, instead of visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, the Pionkes have images of cakepops jumping off the counters.

“We expect business to really take off starting on Black Friday,” said Chris.

To help launch the cakepop craze, Cakepop Couture is offering $5 off any orders of $25 or more from Nov. 29 through Dec. 6. Individual cakepops are $1.50 each. Discounts also are available for orders of five dozen or more. Special holiday flavors include peppermint, eggnog and fruit cake (think of a very moist pineapple-upside-down cake).

After the Prescott Gateway Mall store is up and running, the Pionkes hope to open another cakepop store in downtown Prescott. QCBN

Cakepop Couture is open every day. For more information, visit the website at http://cakepopcouture12.wix.com/cakepopcouture, send an email to Cakepopcouture12@gmail.com or call 928-899-3232.

Written by Bonnie Stevens

 

 

 

 

 

Chris and Nicole Pionke have figured out how to make a good thing even better. They’ve taken delicious treats like Oreo cookies, gingerbread and red velvet cake, mixed them with frosting, dipped them in chocolate, and voilà, they’ve got cakepops!

Cakepops with sprinkles, cakepops with peanut butter, cakepops with pineapple…some 400 a day are moving through Cakepop Couture in the Prescott Gateway Mall.

The cake shop opened Sept. 1 as a result of Nicole’s dream to “bake her heart out” and Chris’s dream to share his wife’s baked goods with the world.

“We absolutely love what we’re doing,” said Chris. “Nicole is very much the back-of-the-house person. She’s in her zone baking in the kitchen. And I’m very much the front-of-the-house person. I love to interact with people.”

As the aroma of fresh baked cake wafts through the mall, Cakepop Couture has been luring in shoppers and steadily building repeat business with places like the Residence Inn Prescott where cakepops greet guests when they check into their rooms on holidays.

“When a hotel surprises guests with a special treat, it sends the message that the hotel really cares about making that experience special,” said Chris. “It makes you feel like you’re home.”

The Pionkes say they help people celebrate the most important occasions of their lives: births, weddings and anniversaries. While brides and grooms still want to have the wedding cake that they can ceremoniously cut as a couple, the growing trend is to have cakepops for their guests. Right now they are busy taking orders for holiday parties.

“With cupcakes or cake, you can have crumbs everywhere, but with cakepops the frosting really holds the cake together. A lot of people will say, ‘My cake’s not cooked through.’ But the cakepop is just super moist because of the amount of frosting used. It’s very hard for it to fall apart while they’re eating it.”

Long before Chris and Nicole considered opening a Prescott cake shop, Nicole got her hands in the batter business early on as her grandmother made wedding cakes. For Chris, it was love at first bite. “Nicole makes cakes with such love and finesse.”

The two began a catering cake business in 2010 out of Nicole’s parents’ kitchen in Chino Hills, Calif. “The first week in business we booked two weddings,” said Chris. “Both had a wedding cake, but the presentation was more centered on individual cupcakes than the cake.”

The two moved to Prescott in April and knew they had made a sweet decision when they signed their lease with the Prescott Gateway Mall.

During the holiday season, instead of visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, the Pionkes have images of cakepops jumping off the counters.

“We expect business to really take off starting on Black Friday,” said Chris.

To help launch the cakepop craze, Cakepop Couture is offering $5 off any orders of $25 or more from Nov. 29 through Dec. 6. Individual cakepops are $1.50 each. Discounts also are available for orders of five dozen or more. Special holiday flavors include peppermint, eggnog and fruit cake (think of a very moist pineapple-upside-down cake).

After the Prescott Gateway Mall store is up and running, the Pionkes hope to open another cakepop store in downtown Prescott. QCBN

Cakepop Couture is open every day. For more information, visit the website at http://cakepopcouture12.wix.com/cakepopcouture, send an email to Cakepopcouture12@gmail.com or call 928-899-3232.

 

By Bonnie Stevens

Quad Cities Business News