Rural Missouri - April 2012 - (Page 40)

N E I G H B O R S Small-town sa viors Young business owners help spur Brunswick’s revitalization M a small business. “It’s hard to have a personal life,” says Blake. “When you own a store, it’s never-ending. There is always something to ﬁll out or some new issue ovies often portray the classic story to deal with. My friends might get annoyed that I of a small-town kid leaving for the am always planning several weeks ahead, but you big city. The kid believes there is no need to with this. But it’s all worth it because I future at home, and that the city is love what I do.” where dreams are made. Both the antique store and deli have seen sucDuring the past half century, American culcess beyond what they expected. ture has emulated Hollywood. In the early 1950s, “The community has been really receptive,” more than a third of the country says Kaitlynn. “We already have developed lived in rural communities. Today, regulars that eat here just about every day.” only 20 percent of the population Brunswick Blake admits that it has always been his lives outside of cities. • dream to own a store, but for Kaitlynn, Blake Dankert loves his small owning a deli wasn’t always on her town, but when he graduated from mind. Brunswick High School, he believed a Kaitlynn was home-schooled on degree from the University of Missouri the family farm and admits her famwould lead to promising endeavors in ily always has had an entrepreneurial bigger markets. spirit. When it came time to pay for But it was the small-town life that a trip to Jefferson City for a leadership camp, her has turned the 25-year-old and his fellow tenant, parents left it in her hands. 21-year-old Kaitlynn Reichert, into prominent “My mom, being the wonderful mom she is, business owners in Brunswick. Their efforts have made me pay for it,” she says. “I then wondered, helped revitalize the river town. ‘Where am I going to get that kind of money?’” After his sophomore year at MU, Blake A fan of baking, she ﬁrst envisioned selling returned home and opened Plantation Antiques & bread to locals. Thanks to her mother’s unyielding Interiors in October 2010. Six months later, Kaitpush for her to learn life lessons, Kaitlynn came lynn opened Kaitlynn’s Deli & Ice Cream Shop. up with something unique: cheesecakes. The two business owners are tenants in the “Since we are the Pecan Capital of Missouri, same renovated building on Brunswick’s main we ﬁrst started with Turtle Pecan using my mom’s strip. Blake sells high-quality antiques and furrecipe,” says Kaitlynn. “We had quite a few nishings, while the young cook bakes a variety of ‘cheesequakes’ and a lot of late nights, but evengourmet cheesecakes and runs a full-service deli. tually I sold enough to afford the trip.” Both have dealt with the constant task of running Plantation Antiques & Interiors, located at 117 E. Broadway, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Fridays, it remains open until 7 p.m. For more details, call Blake at 660-548-3955 or visit www.plantation-antiques.com. Kaitlynn’s Deli & Ice Cream Shop, located at 121 E. Broadway, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more details, call 660-548-3600 or visit www.kaitlynns.com. by Kyle Spradley kspradley@ruralmissouri.coop More than ﬁve years later, Kaitlynn is still baking cheesecakes and serving them at her deli. Top-selling cheesecakes include the ever-popular Turtle Pecan as well as Red Velvet, Crème Brûlée, Butterﬁnger, Deep Dark Chocolate, Cranberry Eggnog and a variety of other ﬂavors. Blake credits the rural community for his store’s success. “We wouldn’t be where we are without the support of this community,” says Blake. “Brunswick has turned into a little destination town, and it’s great to see people come through and visit. Some days you just want to quit because of all the work, but seeing how you impact people and the sense of accomplishment you get from making a job that you love work, it’s all worth it.” Blake and Kaitlynn’s success has had a major effect on the community and has been the catalyst for other businesses opening in downtown Brunswick. Above the two shops, a salon, photographer’s studio and banquet hall plan to open in the same building. Plans also are in the works for a new courtyard project across the street. “It is so great to have them in our community,” says Roseanne Meyer, president of the Brunswick Chamber of Commerce. “They have so much energy and bring great, fresh ideas with such positive attitudes.” Meyer also adds they have helped encourage folks to buy more local products and have worked to make Brunswick a great destination town. “They have done so much to help with the revitalization of Brunswick,” says Meyer. “They brought pride back in this town and inspired others to step up and support our home.” Above: Blake Dankert sits in his store, Plantation Antiques and Interiors, which he opened in October 2010. Right: Kaitlynn Reichert started making cheesecakes in high school. She now serves homemade desserts, sandwiches and other dishes at Kaitlynn’s Deli and Ice Cream Shop. 40 WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP http://www.plantation-antiques.com http://www.kaitlynns.com http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - April 2012

Rural Missouri - April 2012
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
Mule memories
Squandered opportunity
Something to gobble about
Outdoors
Best of Rural Missouri
Hearth and Home
The hardest fun ever
News Briefs
Around Missouri
Marketplace
Small-town saviors
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - April 2012