Our story
Three summers of markets. One little shack on the way.
Kaitlin and Eddie, Sayner, Wisconsin
We met in 2012 at Alterra’s Foundry cafe in Milwaukee’s Fifth Ward, and spent most of the years after that driving around Wisconsin and the country hunting down the best bakeries, cafes, and roadside food we could find. Somewhere in there, sharing a good snack in a beautiful place became the whole point.
After nearly fifteen years between Milwaukee and Madison, the drive back down from the Northwoods after a long weekend started to feel wrong. When Kaitlin stumbled on a listing for a tiny former cafe in Plum Lake being used as a house, we drove up the same day. It became our home, and the launching pad for this.
People come up here for memorable days outside. The food should be memorable too.
We started by baking a small lineup of our favorites out of our own kitchen for farmers’ markets around Vilas County, as the Sweetfern Snack Stand. The Stand grew up and got a roof: we’re building a small shack on the back lot. The front door opens onto the trail.
Sweetfern is the plant, by the way: the sweet-smelling shrub along every sandy trail up here. Crush a leaf next time you ride past one. We named the whole thing after it.
- First market, Sayner.
- Drywall, a ladder, and a lot of coffee.
- Doors open. Weekends to start.
- NextWe’ll name the month the minute we know it. Put me on the list.
