Sharky’s neighbor, Milkbox Bakery, has sat empty since 2022. That is, until an expanding entrepreneur and UNI alumnus recently began to lease the space. Maddie Palmersheim, owner and operator of Moo’s Bakery, has been on the hunt for a physical storefront since the demand for her 100% plant based baked goods reaches new heights.
Palmersheims’ business has been strictly online-based until she purchased the storefront. She’s been documenting her journey in cleaning and preparing the bakery for a grand opening on the bakery’s TikTok, @MoosBakeryCF.
If students are interested in supporting Moo’s Bakery, Palmersheim asks that students continue to follow and like her social media platforms. She’s enjoyed people knocking on her bakery doors and mentioning that they’ve seen her TikToks. Palmersheim said, “I’m excited to be serving the community and UNI students.”
Palmersheim has been interested in this specific building on the Hill for about a year, she said. The white brick, the patio, and the location drew her to desire this lot as Moo’s Bakery, even though she knew the building would need some refreshing. Palmersheim added, “I love college hill, I went to UNI and loved my time there, and this was actually my first choice for a location.”
Moo’s Bakery was founded in response to the lack of plant-based bakeries in the Cedar Valley. Palmersheim ate only plant-based food for multiple years, and yearned for more restaurant choices. There’s plenty of plant-based establishments in big cities, but there’s very few locally. Palmersheim said, “Finding vegan options while I was plant-based felt really good.”
But, Palmersheim adds that there were some suspicions that came with opening a plant-based bakery. Customers wanted to know if being plant-based changed the result of the product. Palmersheim added, “I wanted to show others that plant-based eating actually isn’t gross!”
Moo’s Bakery’s best selling baked goods are the chocolate chip cookies. Palmersheim said that she was hesitant to sell them at first, but changed her mind once she saw how well they sold. The chocolate chip cookies are a permanent menu item, but Palmersheim says “I love introducing new things [baked goods] seasonally.”
For Palmersheim, it’s even deeper than just the minimal plant-based options. Opening Moo’s was also a direct result of a favorite pastime. She added, “My favorite thing to do is to be with people I love, eating yummy food in a good environment.”
Moo’s Bakery is expected to open late summer. Palmersheim says that they’ll be prepared for new and returning students during the Fall 2025 semester. The bakery is located at 2223 College Street in Cedar Falls.
