WILMORE, Ky. (LEX 18) — A sweet shop, a sweeter concept. A group of friends who are also business owners and makers are embarking on a treat for the town they call home.
"We just all kind of put our brains together, and it just kind of snowballed from there," Erika Miller said.
Erika Miller and her husband own the Olive Branch on Main Street in Wilmore along with the building. The coffee shop next door is leaving, so they got a wild idea: Open an ice cream shop and give 100% of the proceeds right back to the town. They are calling it the Local Confectionary.
Miller said, "Our mission the whole time has been to invest in downtown Wilmore."
Caylie Mindling is in charge of coming with ice cream flavors and testing. Her grandfather was in the dairy business so, in a way, she is getting back to her roots.
Mindling said, "It feels like it's running through my hips. Running through my blood, running through my hips."
A maker herself, Mindling has had her life changed by selling her work inside the Olive Branch. She said it is an honor to help do the same for others.
"A rising tide lifts all boats, right? We want to help people build those boats too," Mindling said.
Miller added," We want to work on downtown community projects, funding the different festivals, the night markets that we have, downtown aesthetic projects, so anything that just needs to be spruced up."
That is just the tip of the iceberg. They say they have a list a mile long of way to help small businesses, projects and infuse the community with the passion they have for the town.
"What is life if you can't help other people and share what you've been given, " said Miller.
The Local Confectionary is set to open in late May, but they are still in need of funding to help them get off the ground, so they can immediately focus on giving back to the community. If you'd like to help visit their Kickstarter page.
The team also wants to use local ingredients to boost other local bakers and makers inside the shop. If you're interested, you can contact them or follow them on Facebook or Instagram at The Local Confectionary.
