Rebuilding an Uprooted Kitchen

Uprooted - my summer theme for 2026.

At Wildflower Chocolate our business moved out of a space where we spent years carving out, and it was never quite done. Construction and handyman tasks (painting, tending, cleaning) took up as much mental space and time as actual chocolatier work. During that time leasing my business location we welcomed another little one to our family too... What a sign of relief it has been to have those hours back since moving on, and allowing the dust to settle on a new summer. 

Personally, this year we moved our family our of our primary home in Nisswa as well, for a summer of adventure. We are living with a rustic summer open air kitchen and amidst a mid-construction cabin. I think we would be in the "shell" phase of construction. Swimming and biking with the kids as much as possible, while remotely responding to guest inquiries at our "Wildflower Acres" (our home, rented as a vacation spot for the summer in Nisswa), has been a drastic change of pace from greeting chocolate shop customers and managing employee schedules. I'm finding with the space to reflect on those past eight years, and finding I really enjoy the construction and building process. The chocolate work is physically easier, but needs to be constantly repeated to make sales and progress.

This fall will be an entirely new chapter. I've mulled for months and have decided to close / discontinue the Tasting Club while Wildflower Chocolate rebuilds a rhythm. The members in our Chocolate Tasting Club have shown so much grace and support for creative Minnesota foods (chocolate infusions, seasonal delights and roasted coffee). It is a chapter of my life I will look back on fondly and with gratitude.

And, if you are a small business, I will sing to you from the rooftop of my cabin in the woods: work at home or build your own equity for as long as you can. Leasing a space was a step for me, and it did help Wildflower become more established, but in hindsight I wish I had worked at a different pace and spent that time building up my own owned projects instead of remodeling a space that could be swept away and filled with any other concept. Truthfully, I am weighing the benefits of working as a home-based business in 2027, and it is right where I started.