Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Tucker.
Hi Courtney, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The story starts with my grandma Ramona. It was in a small town in the middle of Wisconsin. She ran a bed and breakfast, and welcomed everyone into her home. There was this light about her, she could make almost anyone feel like a part of her family. Her table was always filled with her guests, friends and family members. There was always a casserole, cinnamon rolls, and many wonderful conversations. She also operated a special order bakery in the basement, and had probably made everyone in the town a cake at least once.
Growing up I spent a lot of time sitting on the counter while she baked, watching her, learning, and of course taste testing. As I recall, she even had to teach herself how to decorate a cake with her left hand, just to be able to teach me how to hold a piping bag. The time she took to teach me, her patience, care, and love for me have truly made me who I am today. I think she lived a beautiful, simple life filled with family and community gathered around her table. That’s actually all I have ever been searching for in my life, as I think most people do.
I moved away from that small town to go to college and never moved back. I eventually found my own small town – Calumet – in the heart of the Keweenaw Peninsula. One amazing lunch there and the next thing I know, I’m buying a building and planning a bakery. I moved with my daughter in October 2020, in the middle of Covid. I didn’t know anyone, didn’t have a business plan, and had never experienced a place that gets three hundred inches of snow in winter.
Everyone thought I was crazy for moving to Calumet. Honestly, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I knew this was my community. It took a lot of hard work. A humbling amount of learning, and stress. Also a generous amount of help of those who supported me, but in the end, Ramona’s Bakery opened.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The growth of the bakery has been slow and steady. I think the biggest challenge was trying to remain patient. People learned of Ramonas mostly by word of mouth. Summertime in the Keweenaw brings a lot of tourists to the area, so are naturally quite busy. My biggest challenge is employing people because I want to provide them with a job year round, but I need more help in the busy summer months.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Most people would describe baking as a creative endeavor. Baking is also creating something that is consistent, repeatable, and reliable. I pride myself on making something great, but that doesn’t change from one week to the next. The space I have created would make Ramona proud. My hope is that people come to the bakery and feel welcome and treat it like home. I want them to feel like they are part of my family. I want them to feel like they are sitting at my grandma’s, saturated with love, great conversation, and good food.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Our success is owed to my community, my regulars, and those they invited in. The people who surround me and support me year round are the true foundation, and a lot of hard work.
