Hey everybody, my name is Casey and I’ve been putting the sour in sourdough since 2023! I started hoochMKE (an eco and allergy friendly bakery specializing in European style breads and pastries) out of my home in Bay View, and have been active at markets, community events, and local fundraisers for about three years before opening a storefront in November 2025. The bakery was thriving, I gained a business partner named Wallie, and we are very proud of the community we were building here.

I naively moved into the space with a handshake and the promise of a lease that never came. The landlord and I began the sublease on good terms, however our relationship went downhill when miscommunications snowballed into myself and Wallie being harassed, belittled, and ultimately told to leave. The eviction was communicated via text message, sent to me in error when the landlord was bragging to someone else about kicking us out. We still have not received a formal eviction notice, but our attorney has advised us to move out as soon as possible.

I have spent so much here monetarily that I will never get back: not just for equipment, permits, and licenses, but a new hot water heater, fixing faulty electrical work, and repairing a broken espresso machine that was meant as a gift but, now that it’s fixed, we are now being told to give it back. We feel like our hard work and upgrades to the space were only for our landlord’s benefit, and now we are back to square one.

Your donation will help us get back on our feet to make this dream a reality again. We are currently touring other potential spaces, shared commercial kitchens, and rejoining summer markets and events. We are exploring all options and determined not to let one person ruin the community we have worked so hard to build.