Wild Whoopie Bakery Press
See what the BUZZ is about! Here are some of current and past press-releases.
11-12-2009
Wild Whoopie Lunch! http://www.linksiouxfalls.com/
9-1-2009
Wild Whoopie Article in The Post http://www.thepostsd.com/index.php/go/item/13-whoopiepie
8-21-2009 - Radio Ad
Listen to our current radio ad! Wild-Whoopie-News-Update
8-20-2009 - Wild Whoopie Aha Moment
Check out this video featuring Tammy "the Wild Whoopie Lady"
http://www.ahamoment.com/pg/moments/view/6691
Wild Whoopie Commercial #1
6-18-2009 - Eye On Keloland
Uptown Sioux Falls
6-8-2009 - Radio Ad
Listen to our current radio ad! Wild-Whoopie-News-Alert
6-1-2009 - Etc. Magazine
Click here to download the article.
5-14-2009 - Argus Leader
Whoop! Whoop! There's a New Pie in Town
Author: BryAnn Becker
What's a whoopie pie?
It's a question that Wild Whoopie Bakery customers ask Tammy Wiertzema quite a few times a day.
"They stand in front of the showcase and say, 'What are they?' " she says. "They touch it. It's hard to explain. It's not a cookie." Perhaps the best explanation is to try one - or all seven - of the sweet, fulfilling treat. The bakery, which opened April 13 in the Tri-State Creamery Building, offers seven kinds of whoopie pies: original chocolate, peanut butter, mocha, banana nut, pumpkin (with cream cheese filling), chocolate chip and red velvet.
Don't see a kind you like? Post your own suggestion on the bakery's Web site, which currently includes ideas such as cheesecake and key lime. Chocolate fans may like the next potential whoopie pie. "I need to add an all-chocolate with chocolate filling," Wiertzema says.
Whoopie pies have a cream center sandwiched between an outer shell of two fluffy cookies. Wiertzema developed her own affinity for whoopie pies growing up in Maine. A self-starter, she worked on perfecting the recipe when she decided to open the business after getting laid off from another job in December.
A friend and I stopped by the bakery on a recent afternoon to sample a few.
It's clear from the bakery's title that Wiertzema is banking on the whoopie pie and some Midwestern taste buds latching onto the treat. Her cute slogan - "Put a little Wild Whoopie in your day!" - and packaging of the whoopie pies (individually wrapped with labels) make me smile.
The bakery features an inviting atmosphere with sage green walls, a few tables and framed prints. But what you really need to focus on are the whoopie pies lined up on shelves against the wall.
Chocolate chip, original chocolate and pumpkin are the most popular kinds, Wiertzema says. Gauge your appetite before choosing between the party size (31/4-ounce) or regular (7-ounce) whoopie pies.
We picked the party-size chocolate chip, original chocolate, peanut butter and banana nut ($1.25 each). We'd save the leftovers for later, of course. The regular pies are priced at $2.25 each or $24 a dozen.
Wiertzema was out of cinnamon rolls, but I plan to stop by again sometime for one of these. The bakery also offers coffee, muffins, cookies and a few other pastries.
The chocolate chip whoopie pie reminded me of eating chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches as a kid. Even better, the whoopie pie didn't melt, and I could enjoy the cream center without worry of spilling.
The outer shell was moist and flavorful, but I only ate half. Whoopie pies are surprisingly rich, and after a few bites, I was really thirsty.
My friend preferred the peanut butter, mostly because of the different cream texture. We were planning to sample all four whoopie pies, but after a few bites of two of them, I was full.
The sweet treat satisfied my afternoon snack craving but left me with a bit of a sugar rush. Later, I sampled the banana nut and original chocolate. The banana nut tasted like homemade banana bread, with the added bonus of cream sandwiched between. But my favorite was the original chocolate, which could give the Little Debbie Swiss Cakes Rolls some competition.
Normally when afternoon hits, I crave some M&Ms or other chocolate candy. Maybe people feel the same way about whoopie pies.
Wiertzema says the bakery's busiest time is usually between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., right after lunch on Thursday and Friday and Saturday mornings.
The afternoon bakery stop was a refreshing change from my usual schedule, but my friend offered two noteworthy points: Do you really want to stop at a place just for a whoopie pie? And, she suggested earnestly, are you seriously craving a whoopie pie?
I pondered the latter question as I picked up the last piece of the chocolate chip whoopie pie and polished it off.
Maybe. Then again, how would I know if I haven't sampled all seven kinds?
Rating: 3.5 of 4
Health score: 98 percent out of 100 percent on April 9
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, closed Sundays
Wheelchair accessible: Yes
Credit cards: Yes
Nonsmoking seating: Yes
Copyright (c) Argus Leader. All rights reserved.
3-19-2009 - Eye on Keloland
Makin' Whoopie
The government's bailed out big corporate banks, but what about the little guy struggling in this economy: the small business owner?
Small business is just as important as corporations for economic health. In fact, 60 to 90 percent of all jobs created in this country come from small businesses. Just this week, the president announced a plan to help those entrepreneurs who are struggling.
After getting laid off from her job of five years in December, Tammy Wiertzma is getting ready to turn her hobby into a full-time business.
"I have been making whoopie pies since I was a little kid" Wiertzma said.
Wiertzma says whoopie pies are an East Coast thing, but they're a real novelty around here.
"I made cakes, a lot of cakes for people I work with and they always said 'you need to go into business doing this,'" said Wiertzma.
After trying for six weeks to find another job, she decided to take the plunge and become a small business owner. Wiertzma will soon take those whoopie pies out of her kitchen and be making them in her own bakery in the Tri-State creamery building. But she's had to buy all of the equipment for her new business and put it on a credit card. "It does seem a little nuts. You know the interest rate is outrageous and I'm still looking for a loan," said Wiertzma. Thanks to a new plan to boost lending of small business administration loans, Wiertzma may now have an easier time getting that loan. The government will now back 90 percent of the potential loss on a loan if the business goes belly up.
"So what that means to small business owners is that a bank should be a little more willing to take risk, should be more willing to take a look at a business that should be a start up for instance and they might be concerned about," said John Brown of the Small Business Administration.
Loan fees paid by both borrowers and lenders are also being cut.
"The bottom line for small business is, now fees they would be charged by the bank to obtain an SBA guarantee will be eliminated. That will be 0. That's a huge potential reduction, literally up to tens of thousands of dollars in terms of cost savings," Brown said.
The government will also buy up SBA loans on the secondary market, freeing up more money for banks to lend.
"Small businesses have often had to resort to alternate means to move their business forward. Family, friends, savings, credit cards, we're looking at trying to facilitate those type of arrangements into normal credit markets," said Brown.
"Maybe I can get financing now, get this off my credit card, yea," said Wiertzma.
Wiertzma says despite the risk and the debt, she's counting on makin' whoopie pies to bring her sweet success.
"We're just a couple of weeks away from opening and yeah I'm very nervous. Hoping I have a line out the door my first day," she said.
According to a New York Times article out just this week, Wiertzma is on to something. Whoopie pies are growing in popularity and spreading across the nation. Wiertzma will also be making cakes, muffins, danish and a variety of other goodies at her Wild Whoopie bakery.
Angela Kennecke
© 2009 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.
3-17-2009 - New York Times - Whoopie Pies
Check out this article in the New York Times all about Whoopie Pies!
3-12-2009 - KDLT
Baking Up Inspiration
As the economic recession deepens, many people continue to lose jobs in the area. Instead of sitting back, however, one person has decided to take the opportunity to cook up her own business. KDLT’s Matt Johnson has the delicious story.
Tammy Wiertzema's story is a common one these days.
Tammy says "I was laid off in December; couldn't find a job."
And help wasn't what she was seeking..
Tammy says "I've never collected unemployment in my whole life, and I didn't really want to start."
So rather than sit back, Wiertzema decided to cook up her own way to make money. Her solution, whoopie pies.
Tammy says "Whoopie pies are a real thing."
Though an odd name, where Wiertzema grew up, whoopie pies are, no big whoop.
Tammy says "They're very common in Maine; everyone knows what they are. I have recipes in my recipe box from when I was a kid moving out of the house."
Now Wiertzema wants to bring that bite of New England life, here to Sioux Falls.
Tammy says "Watching people take that first bite of a Whoopie pie is just an awesome thing."
Wiertzema says the process of making whoopie, literally, is like cooking class 101.
Tammy says "It's basically a really thick cake batter. You put it on a pan, just a sheet pan, bake it 15 minutes, let it cool, and wha-la, whoopie pie."
Whoopie pies come in many flavors, chocolate, chocolate chip, banana nut, pumpkin and more, but Wiertzema says she'll open her oven doors to whatever flavor you can come up with.
Tammy says "May even have one named after you some day."
While Wiertzema has been cooking since she was a child, making it her profession.. Is not all about the dough.
Tammy says "It's the satisfaction of having created something a little artistic; I'm not a terribly artistic person, but it's just that little bit of art in my cakes."
But she admits that baking up a new business in this economy, can get you burned.
Tammy says "I'm very nervous; it's a lot of work to start a new business, but it's been fun; it's been interesting."
So even though Wiertzema lost her job this last year, she's trying her best, to make life that much sweeter. Wild whoopie bakery is hoping to be open by early April. They have them on sale right now at Sanford Hospital, or you can order some whoopie pies off of their website; www.wildwhoopiebakery.com