A recent business switchover has shaken the town of Whitewater this fall, as Sweet Spot Bakehouse has officially been sold to Dunkin’.

Owners Jacob Gildemeister and Elena Schleusner purchased The Sweet Spot Café and Bakehouse in Whitewater in August 2020. The Bakehouse was a coffee shop providing a variety of pastries, a small breakfast menu, and a drive-through service. The Bakehouse also offered custom bakery goods, including wedding and birthday cakes, croissants, muffins and more. Both the Café in downtown Whitewater and the Langholf in Fort Atkinson will remain open.

“Our closing is coming much quicker than anticipated due to factors beyond our control,” said Sweet Spot Bakehouse on Facebook. “We know it will sadden many of you. … Where one door closes, another opens. … We hope that down the road, we can reopen our bakery in a new capacity. We hope that you continue to support your local businesses — not just our shops or even the ones in Whitewater, but in every community wherever you go. Supporting small matters in big ways.”

Dunkin’ has officially bought the bakehouse and will be remodeling the current building. They have a Conditional Use Permit application that will be reviewed at the Oct. 13 PARC meeting.

“We are very familiar with the Whitewater market,” said Dunkin’ Representative and President/CEO of Shamrock Company Dan McGue. “We believe the city and the university will be a good fit for us.”

Many questions have circulated the town, such as ‘Why did Sweet Spot sell?’ ‘Why is Dunkin coming here?’ And more importantly, ‘What does this mean for small businesses in Whitewater?’ While many questions are being left unanswered for now, Mason Becker, Whitewater’s new economic development director who previously worked for the city of Watertown for three years, is looking at the bigger picture for a town that’s been sitting on economic potential.

“Some people will always be disappointed when a locally owned business chooses to close, and that’s understandable,” Becker said. “Whitewater has had opportunities for more national brands and, up until a few years ago, that was an untapped aspect of the community, so in a way we are playing catch-up to what [the town] should be.”

Many things can attract national chains to small towns, such as available properties, economic growth potential for the company and population data. A unique thing about Whitewater is the population growth is across all age demographics. Since 2020, Whitewater has continued to see steady population growth overall, which is a major contributor to why national chains have joined the community as of late. With the arrival of Dunkin’, along with Starbucks across the street and The Sweet Spot Café a few blocks down the road, many residents are concerned about how this will affect the local coffee shop market in Whitewater.

“I think the Sweet Spot Café is very unique in its location in Whitewater, and I think their product offer is different from Dunkin and will continue to differentiate themselves,” Becker said.

Becker reminds incoming and current small business owners in Whitewater that there are resources to help them grow, such as the Facade Loan Program and the Community Development Authority, with loan programs for businesses. Go to whitewater.uww.gov to find more resources.

“We have resources for local entrepreneurs not only to survive but to thrive here in Whitewater,” Becker said.

Otherside of the café scene in Whitewater, there’s another economic scene Becker hopes to focus on.

“I am bringing a unique blend of experiences of large and small developers and housing developers, which is a need in our town,” Becker said. “We are poised for growth, and we are a unique community with additional land. I think that Whitewater’s real strength is in small to medium-sized businesses and to really continue helping small and medium-sized businesses grow here, which will be our long-term driver in success.”

Both new housing options and the potential of biotechnology and agriculture businesses could come to Whitewater in the near future.

“The only constant in life is that there is going to be change,” Becker said. “If residents are concerned, they can come to a council meeting and give a public comment or contact their alders. There are always additional opportunities to get involved in the community, like serving on the board of a non-profit or civic organizations, to become involved and engaged in the city to voice your concerns and make your opinion heard.”