It is sometimes hard to distinguish between serendipity and the fruits of a talent tried. In Melissa Keister’s case, it’s some of both, and the oh-so-sweet result is her business, “Sweet Keister’s” — which delivers desserts of all kinds, including her ever-popular signature dessert, cheesecake.
Keister’s freshly made cheesecakes and desserts are available to individuals, who comprise the bulk of her sales, and can also be found at some popular local eateries, including So Ro Chill & Grille, and even Pit Boss, whose customers are partial to her Key Lime pie and, to complement the recent event, “Kentucky Derby” pie.
For years, Keister has enjoyed baking and dessert making; she started out making the traditional New York style cheesecake and gradually branched out from there. Before long, her reputation preceded her (she was always asked to “bring a cheesecake” to family / friend functions), so, bring cheesecake she did – along with other desserts that have become part of her staple “menu,” which includes brownies, cookies and more.
Keister, who catered a few small events, had been mulling the idea of starting a business when a friend, Mark Claytor, asked her if she could do all the desserts for his Christmas Open House. Keister decided “let’s just go for it,” using the Open House as a test. She supplied all the desserts for free, desiring only feedback, saying, “I wanted to see how it went” so she would know what to concentrate on for the business. (That’s one lucky Mark Claytor.)
Her treats were so well received she knew she was onto something. When she and partner Kenny Prickitt put their heads together, one of the first items on the agenda was a name for the new business. Laughing, Keister says that “There are sweet Melissa’s everywhere; when Kenny came up with ‘Sweet Keister’s – Simply delicious, no butts about it’ – it was so hilarious we decided let’s just go with it.”
Keister uses only fresh ingredients and says “the product you’re receiving is made yesterday; nothing is frozen.” There are a few cakes that require a two-day process so she asks customers to give her a two to three day notice for orders, and a little more time on larger orders. She doesn’t hesitate a second when asked which flavors are the best sellers: “Red Velvet and Blueberry.” She says Red Velvet is “the ‘one’ — the eye-popping show-stopper — and people love it.”
So Ro Chill & Grille owner Angela Drinkard says that both “Red Velvet, and the Berrylicious — made with three different kinds of berries — are the most popular.” She adds that customers love the cheesecakes; she even had one lady call ahead to make sure they still had a slice of the one she planned to order for dessert and had them “hold” it for her.
Keister introduces people to her desserts by taking samples to potential customers and by setting up a booth at community events, such as the Vinton Wine festival she recently attended. She says she quickly learned that rather than ask questions, it is better to “watch people’s expression when they try some – their face will tell you everything you want to know.” She adds that people “always have something to say… it gets you tickled when they say ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’… they’re really enjoying it, which is good.”
Currently a home-based operation, Sweet Keister’s has plenty of room to grow right where they are. Keister is enjoying her delivery business, although she says it would be a dream of hers to “one day have an establishment called ‘Sweet Keister’s’” even though she admits that “it would be a lot of work running a place like that.” For now, she may have found her niche, and she adds that when her customers tell her “they are sold out, that is the biggest compliment.”
For more information, visit sweetkeisters.com which includes a list of the many flavors of cheesecake available, and to order, email [email protected] or call 540-397-5253.
By Cheryl Hodges [email protected]