Rachelle Long
Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Rachelle Long, the owner of Chellie’s Sugar Shack in Des Moines, as this week’s Iowan of the Week.
Whether it’s cakes, cookies, cobblers, or pies, Chellie’s Sugar Shack has been satisfying sweet tooths in Des Moines for nearly a decade. After a thirty-year career – one she began straight out of high school – Rachelle took the leap and opened her own home bakery at the suggestion of her children. Chellie’s Sugar Shack was the result of years of baking sugar cookies for her kids and family, including sugar cookie trays that became a much-anticipated present each year at Christmas.
Chellie’s Sugar Shack opened for business on April Fool’s Day in 2011 – with Rachelle clarifying on Facebook that the business was indeed no joke. For the first two years, sugar cookies were the only thing on the menu. After requests from satisfied customers, however, the menu has since grown to include best sellers like the southern caramel cake and strawberry cake. And yesterday, on National Sugar Cookie Day, Rachelle found a way to reward one loyal customer with a gift of a dozen sugar cookies.
I am deeply impressed by Rachelle’s strong entrepreneurial spirit, dedication, and engagement with the local community – like baking dozens of mini southern caramel cakes as a sweet treat for students. I know the community appreciates her hard work. I know Rachelle and other small business owners have been working hard during this global pandemic. Like all small business owners, Rachelle must have been worried about what might happen to her business. But Iowans have a proud tradition of supporting our small businesses and Chellie’s Sugar Shack has seen an uptick in orders. With 8 to 10 orders to bake each day now, Rachelle’s been busy giving Iowans delicious cakes, cookies, and other treats to brighten their day.
Like many small businesses, including my own, Chellie’s Sugar Shack is a family business. A grandmother of 9, Rachelle recounted her early days as a business owner of having her grandchildren – then ages 1 to 10 – help her with baking, decorating, and packaging orders. As they helped, Rachelle sought to instill in them the value of being an entrepreneur – in her words, to be an “employer and not an employee.” With Chellie’s Sugar Shack, Rachelle says that she’s planted a seed that she hopes her grandchildren will continue to nourish and grow across generations.
As a mom myself, I know the importance of providing our children with experiences that will build not just lifelong skills, but also lifelong memories. I am proud to know that we have family business owners like Rachelle in our community fostering tomorrow’s entrepreneurs. It is my honor to share Rachelle’s story, and recognize her as the Iowan of the Week.