Wendy Moore, owner of Daisy’s Treats and Bakery, 3748 Grand Blvd. in Brookfield, had built a vibrant pop-up business based on a coveted pound cake recipe and a fierce belief in herself before taking over a Brookfield ice cream shop.
Daisy’s opened quietly in the former home of Zoo City Treats in November 2021, but as the weather warms Brookfield residents are quickly discovering that much remains the same inside the ice cream parlor. More than 40 flavors of ice cream, milk shakes and banana splits remain on the menu, but Moore is bringing her own flair to the business.
The LaGrange Park resident started her bakery business out of her home when her friends urged her to start selling her mother’s favorite pound cake. Moore learned to bake the cake by her mother’s side.
“My mom’s name was Daisy and she loved to bake. Her pound cake was always special, but after she passed away my love for it grew deeper,” said Moore. “Whenever I would make the cake, it would be gone in three minutes flat. My friends all told me I should sell it.”
She started selling pound cake and expanded her repertoire to include fruit bouquets and elaborate sweet tables. Moore found her way to a shared commercial kitchen in Naperville that helped to carry her through her next growth phase, but after hiring her first employees it became clear that having her own space would be more profitable than paying rental fees.
Moore went looking for a brick-and-mortar home for her burgeoning bakery businesses, but pandemic supply chain issues rendered completing a custom build out financially unrealistic. Trusted advisors recommended she look to purchase a pre-existing business to cut costs. She was on her way to see a turnkey property in faraway Highland Park when a real estate broker called to let her know Zoo City Treats was set to hit the market.
“It was straight God, seriously,” said Moore. “I don’t even know how he got my number, but I turned the car around and stopped by the shop. It was meant to be. The icing on the cake was that ice cream was already in my business plan. I knew this place was mine the moment I saw it.”
Moore pointed out that Brookfield community members were worried the shop was going to disappear altogether, but many residents are pleased she has opted to keep it open year-round.
“Who opens an ice cream shop in November?” said Moore with a laugh, but she admits opening in the off season allowed her to get up to speed in time for summer.
In addition to serving up cups and cones, Daisy’s offers a rotation of “daily pound cake” flavors, hand dipped strawberries, custom cakes and taffy grapes. Specialty dishes like “Daisy’s Dream Delight,” features chocolate mocha cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate shell topping, will give even more options to ice cream lovers.
In the future Moore anticipates Daisy’s becoming a “one-stop shop” for birthday parties in Brookfield and beyond.
She dreams of Daisy’s Treats and Bakery becoming a trustworthy and well-established business in Brookfield focused on giving back to the community, but for now is focused on building relationships with her customers and creating a place young people feel comfortable visiting.
“I lived in Brookfield for six years and used to be a customer here; I could just walk over,” said Moore. “So I know this is a community of kindness. I am ready to show kindness and I am ready to receive it, too.”
