By Angie Landsverk
Bekah Stelling has always loved to cook. She learned mostly from her grandmother and mother and said it was easy to fall in love with all the innovations in gadgets and cookware that happened in the early 2000s.
“I was a buyer for a store in Madison for a few years and enjoyed it so much we decided to bring it to Baraboo,” she said. “The store was my dream, with the full support of my hubby, and I share ownership with him, though it is considered a woman-owned business, as I own a majority. This was an important distinction for both of us.”
Bekah and her husband, Mark, opened Bekah Kate’s in her hometown of Baraboo, Wisconsin, in 2004. While they enjoyed living in Madison and Sauk City for a while, the couple wanted to be closer to her parents.
They also loved Baraboo’s downtown square. “The Baraboo area is beautiful, too,” Bekah said. “Our downtown has become a destination for tourists and locals alike.”
She explained how her past experiences helped in their new venture. “Honestly, I had never worked a day of retail in my life until I graduated from college,” she said. “Throughout my college years, I mostly was a waitress at a very nice restaurant and saw how much joy came from cooking delicious food and pairing that with wonderful wines.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEKAH KATE’S
Bekah was waiting to get into graduate school when she took a job in retail. Once she became a buyer for that store, she was hooked. “My family has a long history of entrepreneurship, so starting our own business, we had lots of help and advice,” Bekah said.
The Early Years
“I’d have to describe our early years as crazy!” Bekah said. “We looked at the building the night before I was put on bedrest with my first baby, so much of my early store planning was done from there or the couch.”
They got that building about a year later and had a short window of time to totally remodel the store and hit their target opening date of May 7, 2004. “That same day, our baby was diagnosed with RSV and pneumonia, and a couple of weeks later, my beloved grandmother passed away,” Bekah said. “Our hearts were heavy, and our hands were full. Once the remodel was done — with lots of help from family and friends — the store started off with a bang when we finally opened, and it continued from there!”
Bekah Kate’s is a family business. Her parents bought the building, which was constructed in the late 1880s, and over the years, the building has been restored inside and out.
The remodeling of the store was done quickly over two months, with the addition of three beautiful apartments upstairs and an office space taking place later. Bekah manages the building for her parents.
“We are constantly changing, moving, and remodeling. Keep it fresh,” Bekah said. “We plan to do a few small projects to celebrate our 20th year, including my office, hopefully!”
She explained how the store’s name was chosen. “It’s a nickname my mother used for me growing up. We wanted the name to be unique and memorable — not just another kitchen store name. It had the benefit of easily acquiring websites, etc.,” Bekah said.
Challenges, Turning Point
When asked what challenges they have faced since opening the store and how they overcame them, Bekah said, “Some of our challenges were self-inflicted — like having three boys! It is a challenge having babies and running a business, but they have grown up in the store and are now working for us on and off when they can.”
Other challenges for them have included a country at war, a recession, a housing crisis, and a global pandemic. “But we learned that through all of those, people still need to eat and cook in their homes, and if we bought the right items, at the right times, in the right price ranges, we could make it through,” she said.
Bekah said a turning point for the store was when she attended a WhizBang! retail training conference in Michigan. There she met a management team who saw the potential for Bekah Kate’s to do even better. “They motivated me to dig deep into the numbers and to run the business by those numbers,” she said.
Inside the Store
Bekah Kate’s sells everything from things having to do with the kitchen to on-tap olive oil, wine, gourmet food, homemade fudge, nuts, spa items, gifts, and items for babies. “I mostly wanted to open a kitchen store, as that is where my heart truly lies, but I knew that we needed to diversify our product offerings so that we would have something for everyone who walked through our door,” Bekah said when explaining how the product categories were chosen.
That means they have changed what is carried in the shop since opening it. “We like to keep things fresh and try new things,” she said. “When they work, we expand on them. And when they don’t, we move on to something else.”
Gourmet food is probably their bestselling category, followed by their kitchen gadgets and pet products. They also have a gourmet dip and popcorn company — Lambs & Thyme — that they make in Baraboo and wholesale to retailers throughout the country.
“We sell a ton of it and are our own best customer!” Bekah said. “Other lines that do really well in our store are Olivelle, Stonewall Kitchen, OXO, Republic of Tea, and RSVP.”
Who is Bekah Kate’s typical customer? “We like to think that anyone and everyone is our customer,” she said. “But if we were to narrow it down, it would be people who enjoy cooking, eating, and entertaining.”
She said people are usually surprised when they walk into Bekah Kate’s for the first time, because they do not expect the store to be so big. A favorite comment they hear from customers is that it is their happy place. Others say the store provides a little retail therapy.
Bekah Kate’s.
Bekah Kate’s has an online store and ships its products all over the country. Numerous events are held at the store throughout the year, including demonstration days, wine walks, pie contests, a holiday open house, and cooking classes for adults and children.
Their most effective marketing strategies are their loyalty program, texts, emails, and social media. Bekah said they also advertise on public radio and receive a lot of positive feedback from customers for doing so.
Caring for Customers
They offer the loyalty program through their point-of-sale system, and Bekah said their customers love the program. They also offer free gift wrapping and fabulous customer service, she said.
“We have a lot of fun at the store, and it shows in how we treat our customers. We truly enjoy helping them find that perfect gift or solve that kitchen problem they are having,” Bekah said.
Bekah Kate’s is one of the older businesses in Baraboo’s downtown. They strive to be unique, keep their product assortment fresh, and have great customer service.
She said consistency is important for small businesses. “We have always maintained consistent hours of operation. Product assortment is also important and keeping the store fresh. Staff — having a great engaged, energized, and knowledgeable team is so important,” Bekah said. “One of the most important things, though, is our commitment to our community. We participate in many organizations by serving on boards and donating our time.”
Bekah Kate’s is truly a family business, with Bekah saying they consider their staff and customers to be family and friends as well. “Many of them have been shopping with us since the day we opened, and we are so grateful for that,” she said.
She said one of the most important things in small business is to keep learning. “I take a lot of classes, watch webinars, and listen to podcasts. Don’t be afraid to try new technologies, go to seminars, and be open to change,” Bekah said. “Find a good network of businesses you can reach out to when you need support — either local or online. Keep evolving!”
Bekah has advice for those who have recently opened a store. “Retail is not a hobby. Run it like a business if you want to succeed,” she said. “You will wear many hats, but you don’t need to wear all of the hats. Wear the ones you are good at and enjoy and hire for the rest!”
As for what she likes best about what she does, Bekah said, “I love to make people happy with their purchases, whether it is something for themselves or a gift. And I like to be able to mix up my day with different tasks and keep things interesting.”
Facts at a Glance
Business Name: Bekah Kate’s (Kitchen, Kids & Home)
Location: 117 3rd St., Baraboo, WI 53913
Website: bekahkates.com
Email: info@bekahkates.com
Phone: 608-356-3133
Employees: 12
Size: 4,000 sq. ft.
Trade Shows Attended: Atlanta, Dallas, IHA
Product Categories: housewares, kitchen goods, baby, gourmet food, olive oil, wine, spa, and gift
Social Media: facebook.com/bekahkates
POS System: Lightspeed
