Have You Heard?

Monica Schlegel has been looking for new ways to sell her Monica’s Bundt Cakes.

“I’m here to grow,” she says.

Schlegel says she thought if she could get into Dillons stores, it would be a way to expand without having to build new stores herself.

“We put a lot of thought into it and put together a nice presentation for Dillons,” she says. “I thought . . . I’d really have to push for it.”

Instead, she says, “Thankfully . . . the people in Hutchinson were already familiar with our cakes. They were just more than willing to have our products.”

Schlegel, whose store opened at 1328 E. Douglas in 2005, will begin selling her individual-sized bundt cakes — the bundtlettes — Thursday in Wichita Dillons stores at Central and Rock, 21st and Maize, Maize and Central and 37th and Woodlawn. They’ll also be in Dillons stores in Andover and Derby.

There’s a chance Schlegel can sell more of her items at Dillons in the future, too.

“What more could I ask for?” she says. “This is just wonderful.”

College Hill residents have been hoping for a new grocery store to replace the former Dillons at Central and Oliver. That may not happen, but the next best thing could.

Owners of the more than 17-year-old Delano Bakery, which sells its bread at Dillons and to area restaurants, are eyeing the space for their first retail outlet.

Brant Dumford (pictured right), who owns the business with his father, Kelly (left), and brother, Cy (center), says the holdup is the landlord is worried how the bakery could affect Sugar Sisters Bakery & Cafe next door.

But Dumford says his business is strictly about making and selling bread while Sugar Sisters is a restaurant.

“We like to stay with the custom artisan specialty breads, and we don’t want to push anybody out of business anyway,” he says.

Read More »