Hidden Gems: Meet Kathie Armstrong of Kathie’s Bakery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathie Armstrong.

Hi Kathie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I had a Bakery in Wayzata for a couple of years, and it closed due to construction right before us. We were too new to handle the drop in traffic, so sadly, we had to close our doors. My customers kept calling to buy my food, so I decided I would try to make 4 mixes of my most popular products that were easy to make. So that is how my natural food mix business came into being. I started it in the fall of 2015, and in January 2016, I had a meeting with Kowalski’s, and the rest, as they say, is history. They are a wonderful organization, and I am proud to partner with them. They started buying my mixes in bulk for their kitchens. They did a pilot where they would make my french bread the way I did at my Bakery, which is 6 loaves at a time in each of their kitchens by hand the old-fashioned way. It has been a huge success. They now make my cracked wheat bread and my grandmother’s cardamom (Pulla bread) 6 loaves at a time. Kowalski puts much effort into making the best and providing the best for their customers; this proves how far they will go to do this. They have built my business, and I am forever grateful to them.

I continue to sell my retail mixes online and to retail stores. I do my bulk in food service establishments as well. My newest product is frozen pizza dough balls, and they are sold in retail in some coops around the twin cities and some retail grocery stores. They are listed on my website. I also sell them in bulk to food establishments that make pizzas or flatbreads. I am building my business to leave to cherryave.org. It is a fabulous charity that helps lift the poor out of poverty and help them have better lives. They are doing many wonderful things to help those who can’t help themselves. I am also proud to be affiliated with them. They will keep my company going after I am gone and keep growing it and helping many for years to come.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
So many struggles in business that it is hard even to begin to mention them. There are large problems and lots and lots of little problems that arise every day. I knew nothing about the manufacturing business when I started, so I am completely self-taught, and in that comes lots of trials and errors. The key is never to quit. Everyone wants to quit many times, but you just can’t. I have done my business exactly how I live my life. I tell the absolute truth. I am transparent with everyone I deal with. I set a very high standard that I follow with every person I deal with. My word is my bond, and they know that from the start. If I don’t know how to do something, I tell them upfront, but I also tell them I will figure it out. I never say no until I have exhausted every angle. I truly believe I can do anything with the right knowledge and people behind me. I believe we must help others to succeed. Helping others and sharing my knowledge are critical to my success. Giving back to our communities and charities is also a must. Our jobs are to make this world better by sharing whatever we have been given: money, kindness, or knowledge. We must help others.

As you know, we’re big fans of Kathie’s Bakery. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
My goal since I was seventeen, when I first got married, was to feed people and have wonderful moments, traditions, and memories around my kitchen table. I have fed thousands of people in my home over the years, and it was always about delicious homemade food, sharing love and kindness with friends and family, and making them happy they sat at my table and ate my food. I truly believe that food around a table is a bonding agent of life. We all need more of each other in ways that nurture us. Food is a common ground that most people enjoy. I know I love to eat good food, have fun, and laugh with those I am eating with. That is what my business is about—helping women and men who are so busy to be able to make good natural food as easily as possible from scratch. I want to help people eat delicious food they make themselves the way they want it to be. My mixes have only 3-4 ingredients in them. You add the wet whatever the recipe calls for and add your ingredients to make them yours. I have also made a cookbook with 50 recipes, each with 1 of the mixes. Many of the recipes were my mother’s old tried and true recipes that I adapted to work with my mixes to make them super simple. You can make cookies, bars, cake, and desserts from my 4 mixes. You never have to worry about what to make for that special day.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My husband, Jeff Morlock, is my number 1 for all his support, advice, and help throughout this process. He is my everything. Gary Ezel was huge in helping in the beginning because he let me use his commercial kitchen when I couldn’t afford to pay. He changed everything for me. Kowalski built my business by buying my products and believing in me. A man who I consider my friend Russ Tourville is the Bakery Manager that oversees all of the bakeries for Kowalski’s. He is the one who first believed in me and started the ball rolling, and I will be forever grateful to him. So many people have helped lift me along the way, and they know who they are, and I hope I can do the same for others as they did for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: kathiesbakery.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathiesbakery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathiesbakerymn

Image Credits
Joel Zamzow