Two women entrepreneurs are making their dreams come true by pursuing new business endeavors to provide homemade meals and desserts.
Patty Jeffries – also known as Peppermint Patty – recently moved back to Eudora and will continue making the iconic treats she was known for when she had a shop on Main Street in the ‘90s.
She’s bringing her candies and fudges back to many who have stayed in the area and remember her having a space in the front of the tax office.
Jeffries lived in Eudora for over 30 years before moving to the Kansas City area in 2008. When she was considering where to move next, she felt like the supportive community in Eudora was best for her to start up her business again, she said.
When she posted her comeback to Facebook, she was flooded with comments, she said.
“That helped me because I went, ‘I’m just going to put it on there, and I’ll see what kind of response,’ And the response I got, I was like, ‘All right, I need to do this,’”Jeffries said.
She believes that if it’s meant to be it’ll be, and this seemed like a sign she needed to do what she loves.
Gift baskets, fudge, candies and cards became her calling card downtown. After she moved, she missed getting to sell her items regularly, but she still made items for friends.
Jeffries started baking to help her mom while her dad was in the military. Since she started cooking at age 10, she’s carried on recipes from her family to her kids and grandkids.
Jeffries makes peanut butter fudge, chocolate fudge, butterscotch candy, cookies, other candies and just about anything else. She’s also decorated cakes for birthdays and weddings.
She’ll continue to focus on making things that are different from what most households may make, and serve as a local vendor for these kinds of items not sold in the grocery store, she said.
Not only does it give her something to do, it also fulfills her to share her treats and passed-down recipes with more people. She learned from her grandmother and mother their recipes at a young age, and sometimes she’ll come up with her own creations.
Baking brings back memories of her grandma and family cooking for a whole day around the holidays, and that joy keeps her doing it – and because she’s a stickler for tradition, she said.
“Every single thing I make, a memory pops up in my head, you know, oh, I remember this Christmas we did that, and I think that’s a lot of why I enjoy it, because these recipes are handed down from women that aren’t with me anymore,” Jeffries said.
To order from Peppermint Patty, message her on Facebook here.
Michelle Cuccia has been making Italian food since she was little when she first started cooking with her grandpa. She thinks he’s looking down proud that she’s finally putting her skills to use for a larger audience, she said.
Cuccia moved to Eudora from California in March and decided now is the time to share her Italian cuisine with the community. Moving gave her the final push she needed to make it happen, although she’s been waiting for this moment for years.
Cuccia said her grandpa taught her everything she knows, and all the recipes she uses are passed down from him. At a young age, she learned his tricks and was soon making the meals herself.
Cuccia, who’s Italian herself, grew up around a small Italian community and got to see how delis there made authentic food. It gave her an appreciation for the cuisine, and she realized not every place was as lucky to have the same authentic experience.
She comes from a long career in kitchens, but she said she’s always wanted to do her own thing. The time was just never right, she said.
“I’ve always wanted to take that leap and every time I tried, there was a big block,” she said.
With family around the state, she decided to create a fresh start for herself in Eudora and “throw caution to the wind,” she said. She’s loved living in town so far.
After her initial post in a Eudora Facebook group asking people if they’d be interested, she found out just how much authentic Italian food is lacking in and around town, she said.
That’s also when she saw a post from Jeffries about her treats for sale. The two connected after she reached out saying she was overwhelmed with the process, she said. Since then, she feels more confident, but is still figuring out how everything will work.
She plans to sell jarred meat sauce, marinara sauce and alfredo sauce, as well as freshly made lasagna, fettuccine alfredo and baked ziti. Her 36-ounce containers, or about 2- to 2.5-pound boxes, will be $20 and can serve two or three people. She wants prices to be comparable to grocery store prices.
She ultimately wants to focus on catering events and dinner parties, as well as take-out type meals. She’s already been reached out to about catering a 150-person wedding. She also plans to sell at Main Street Markets in the future.
She prides herself on using fresh and organic ingredients to make authentic sauce and healthy meals.
“I love cooking, and in this day and age with all the fast food and all of the processed foods that people are purchasing from the grocery stores, I wanted to be able to provide a healthier meal for them and their family,” Cuccia said.
Seeing people get excited about fresh foods makes her want to share her family recipes with the community, she said.
She also plans to support other local businesses by reaching out to local farmers and butchers to use their goods to make her meals, she said.
One day she hopes to have a brick and mortar location in town for people to take-out from, she said. For now, she’ll be cooking inside her home.
It finally feels like the doors are opening to make her dream a reality, especially with how she’s seen the way Eudora’s community comes together, she said.
Both Jeffries and Cuccia sold their items at a booth at Saturday’s EudoraFest. After the two connected, Jeffries invited Cuccia to share her booth to sell her sauce and lasagna.
Cuccia also thinks it could be good collaboration to work with Jeffries to provide both dinner and dessert for events.
They agree it’s nice to have someone who understands and is able to answer questions, as well as just having another friend in town with common interests.
People can message Cuccia on Facebook to inquire about orders, but she plans to eventually have a website for ordering.
The two join other women entrepreneurs in town.
Kayla Graff and her family started a lemonade business to sell sparkly fairy-themed drinks, but Graff dreams of one day selling food as well.
Jessica Vande Velde and her kids sell homegrown produce outside their home in a self-service stand. The idea came to them when they saw similar projects when they were on a family trip. The project gives her kids some new knowledge about gardening, and also provides the community with inexpensive, fresh produce.
If you know of other entrepreneurs in Eudora, email us at [email protected].
