Kitchen 242 – Donna Jeanne’s Sweet Dreams

Business News |Sep 1, 2017|2 min read

We finally caught up with Amy and Brad Major of Donna Jeanne’s Sweet Dreams.  Those normal early morning or late night baker hours and their 307 W. Western Avenue growing business has keep them quite busy since May 2017 when they launched their small batch, nostalgic sweet shop at the Muskegon Western Market Chalets on Western Avenue.  “It was a perfect time for us to get serious about doing this” said Amy.  “We owned an ice cream truck and operated in Grand Rapids a few years ago so we knew we would venture into another business at some point.”  “We also enjoy cooking and baking together.”   Brad’s motto also may have contributed to jumping in when they did.  He lives by “go out on a limb, which is where the fruit is.”

 

Amy offered that their theme since they opened has been all about learning, and since she is a Principal in the Forest Hills School District, learning is right up her alley. Several of the things they learned were planning for the right quantities of their baked goods to ensure freshness and quality which they live by; learning what days of the week would be busier, taking cues from customers and yes some of the items they thought would be popular turns out they were not, so adjusting their product mix based on customer feedback. Most of the recipes they use are family recipes. They had great support from both Amy’s and Brad’s parents who not only supported them with their time but also helped them perfect their techniques while making those family recipes. Their daughter who is now in college also helped out with the business this summer.

 

To continue reading about Donna Jeanne’s Sweet Dreams, visit Kitchen 242.