Whitney Baldwin – Nebraska Entrepreneur – Butte Bakery

About Whitney… Whitney shares being an entrepreneur is “in her blood” and life experiences. Her grandfather was an entrepreneur. Her mother owned and operated a bookstore, and she is always ready to test new ideas. Her father provides the analytical talents supporting her mother’s entrepreneurial ventures and now Whitney’s. Whitney, despite her youthful age, has worked for others, managing a café in Denver, created and closed other businesses including Fizzy’s Diner. She has run a food truck, done smoothies and wraps, and even in her spare time is the staff for the Chadron Open Art Gallery1 . She believes in community and gives back including serving as the “hunger coordinator” for Community Table. Plus, Whitney also has a life as a mother of three and wife to a railroader based in Alliance.

Like so many other entrepreneurs, Whitney has a strong creative urge. She is motivated to innovate, but also contributing to community building. Whitney is candid in how hard it is being an entrepreneur and small business owner. She advises others to be ready for the challenges and joys of this kind of life and work. Butte Bakeries are gathering places, and venues for other entrepreneurs to retail their creations. There is now a “bakers’ network” in Chadron and Alliance, as well as an emerging collaborative of other food makers in this rural region home to the beautiful Pine Ridge and south of the amazing Black Hills of South Dakota.

“Local Bakers Working Together to Rise!”

Butte Bakery… There are two Butte Bakeries, the first shop opened in Alliance and by popular demand, the second shop is in historic downtown Chardon. In so many ways “bakery” is not the right description for what is going on in the Butte Bakeries. These shops are more like antique malls where there are multiple consignment dealers. In this case, the bakeries are markets for multiple vendors to retail their products. Butte Bakeries provide a commercial outlet for a minister who roasts coffee, a pie maker from Custer, South Dakota, bakers, meat producers, and so much more. A quick internet search pops up numerous multi-media stories, Facebook posts, and deeper insights into this Nebraska small business empowering other entrepreneurs.

Whitney also created and operates a ghost kitchen in a repurposed double-wide trailer. In her expanded Chadron shop, there is also space for another commercial kitchen. For cottage food producers, having access to a commercial kitchens is foundational enabling them to retail their products.

Who Helped Me… When I asked who has helped her in her journey, Whitney did not even think and quickly shared… “Can’t do it alone!” She recognizes that her success is energized first and foremost by God, so many other helpers, collaborators and friends. Her family, including her husband, daughter, grandfather, mother and father, and the four friends were instrumental in this small business journey. There are dozens of vendors core to this success, each in their own way contributing, generating a value proposition for customers beyond the individual offerings.

Then there is the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act Program . Whitney shared how the funding from this Program enabled new commercial kitchen equipment in the Alliance store allowing its older equipment to set up the Chadron shop. There are new display cases for food offerings. Finally, there is the POS or Point of Sale (POS) software system. For small businesses “point of sales” technology allows for tracking sales attributed to multiple vendors, providing powerful research into what is selling and when it is selling, and generating sales information. POS system produces weekly reports allowing this small business to become smarter, contributing to greater and sustained success.

The Program’s funding was foundational, but possibly even more important was the one-on-one help provided by Starr Lehl. Starr is a veteran economic developer, and she came out of retirement to help GROW Nebraska with this Program. She is based in western Nebraska and worked personally with Whitney through the entire process. She is following Butte Bakery and becoming a passionate champion.

Our guess is that Whitney is not done. She sparked when asked “what is on the horizon?” …She envisions more Butt Bakery type shops across Nebraska. Maybe five, 10 or 20 more shops where area food makers can retail their creations, build community, and offer consumers high quality food and other products. Whitney and Butte Bakery is more than making a living, or economic development, its ripple effects are expansive in Chadron, Alliance, and who knows other communities someday soon.