Brooke Wilson joined the so-called Michigan Brain Drain that had so many local college graduates uprooting for careers in other states.
But the 25-year-old owner of the three-week old
Love & Buttercream bakery in Royal Oak is also part of the migration home, a return to the state to do good.
After graduating with a business marketing degree from Michigan State University, Wilson moved to Chicago, worked in the restaurant industry and eventually discovered it was baking and pastries that ruled her career aspirations.
She went on to the French Pastry School in Chicago and after graduating decided, "I wanted to come home and give Michigan some love."
She started a special order business about a year ago and took the leap Oct. 2 to retail bakery at 3202 Crooks Road. It's a bakery that makes everything from scratch, concocting classic bake goods with a twist.
It's her full-time job, her career, as well as that of two full-time employees and one-part-timer.
"It's only our third week of business…and it has been really really great We've been really surprised at the turnout," Wilson says. "We're getting a lot of locals, people coming from the downtown area, from Berkley, Clawson."
The love of her home state goes into Mitten Mades, which are a combo of potato chips, pretzels, toffee and other Michigan made products.
The name Love & Buttercream came to her suddenly one morning after thinking about it for weeks.
"It's kind of cheesy cliche, but I had been trying to come up with a name for weeks and then I woke up and said, I know what it is. It really speaks to what our products are all about. We make everything from scratch. We put a lot of love into what goes out the door."
Source: Brooke Wilson, owner, Love & Buttercream bakery
Writer: Kim North Shine
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