When Giri Chandran found out Sweet Perfections Bake Shoppe moved out of downtown Waukesha into a bigger location on the city's northeast side, he knew he and his family would have to try the new place.
It didn't matter that Chandran and his family would be traveling almost 30 minutes from their Oak Creek home.
"It's worth it," Chandran said. "We have (bakeries closer), but not like this."
Chandran should know. He and his family are regulars at Sweet Perfections.
"It's the best in Wisconsin," said Chandran, as he sat with his wife, Jennifer, and son, Yashas, in an expanded cafe area at Sweet Perfections' new home at 1501 Paramount Drive, Suite C, within the Hillcrest Business Center industrial and commercial park on the side just north of Main Street.
Chandran and his family didn't wait long to visit the new location — the bakery reopened just last week.
Ongoing expansion
The move is the most recent for the bakery's owners Ken and Peggy Heil in what has been a gradual expansion for their business.
The married couple started the business by selling wedding and custom cakes more than a decade ago out of their home. As the business grew, the Heils moved Sweet Perfections into downtown Waukesha, where it remained for a decade.
(Sweet Perfections' old building, at 918 N. Barstow St., will be torn down, Waukesha Community Development Specialist Jeff Fortin said. The space is expected to be used for surface parking and would serve as the entrance to the underground parking for the proposed Plaza II apartments by the Main Street Plaza, he added.)
The newest location is three times the size of its old downtown location.
"We have parking," said an excited manager Barb Ausdembruch, who oversees about 10 staff members. "We didn't really have it before. It was really difficult for parking, so that is very nice to have."
Something to see
Ausdembruch, who has worked at Sweet Perfections for three years, said customers will also notice other changes. There is now a small seating area as well as a private wedding cake salon.
"There's good seating for people," Ausdembruch said of the wedding area. "It's an area where we can do consults in privacy, so that's really very nice."
Customers can also view custom decorated cakes as they're made. Cupcakes, doughnuts, cookies and other pastries greet customers at the front of the store, which is more of an open layout than its past shop.
Ausdembruch is glad to be making products in a new location.
"It's been wonderful," Ausdembruch said. "It's so wonderful being in a bigger space. This is so much brighter, so it's much better. It's so beautiful here."
New and old tastes
Ausdembruch said the bakery is adding Danish pastries to its menu and will eventually add more product as it settles in.
Ausdembruch said the company's specialty will continue to be wedding cakes as well as its Cheez Torte Cheesecake.
"It's the highest quality wedding cake," Ausdembruch said. "Our quality is number one."
While the Chandrans will continue to venture out to Waukesha to buy their tasty treats, people can also still shop on the store's website.
Jennifer said looking at the reviews online, the store continues to get positive remarks. Trying the product in person, her husband gave the new store a raving review.
"It's a lot better," Giri said. "I like the (seating area) to eat, parking is convenient. It's still the same, but even better."
At a glance
Address: 1501 Paramount Drive, Suite C
Hours of operation: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and closed on Sundays
Phone: (262) 446-CAKE (2253)
Website: www.sweetperfections.com