My Sister’s Bake Shop & Coffee in Kankakee Offers Fresh-Baked Goodies
baked goods, business, development, entrepreneurship, food, lisa malloy, mary wilder, my sisters bake shop and coffee bar,
In 1999‚ Mary Wilder was trying to help her sister‚ Lisa Malloy‚ come up with a name for Malloy’s new bakery. Wilder remarked to her husband‚ “I need a name for my sister’s bake shop.”
“I like that one‚” he said‚ giving birth to My Sister’s Bake Shop and Cafe.
“It worked‚” Malloy said of the unusual name. “Now I’m everybody’s sister.”
The downtown Manteno shop began as a way for Malloy to pursue her love of baking but quickly evolved into more than that. Her patrons wanted breakfast items‚ such as sandwiches and coffee‚ to complement the treats.
“The customers let me know what they wanted and I gave it to them‚” she says. “It was all customer initiated.”
My Sister’s still offers a variety of baked goods‚ but today‚ the shop also offers homemade soups‚ burgers and deli-style sandwiches for lunch‚ and the breakfast menu – which is served all day – boasts steak and eggs‚ French toast made with the bakery’s signature fresh-baked bread and grilled sticky buns.
Of course the house specialties are the melt-in-your-mouth cookies and cakes‚ muffins and pies that are virtually irresistible to Kankakee County residents. In fact‚ My Sister’s is a preferred supplier of wedding cakes for three Illinois counties. My Sister’s Bake Shop also supplies many of the area’s service stations with fresh-baked goods.
The bakery is open from 5 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays.
Story by Dan Markham
Photo by Wes Aldridge
