You can’t celebrate National Sugar Cookie Day on July 9th without a goody from Three Tarts Bakery and Café. Owners Ann Heinz and Kate Roony have been serving delicious made-from-scratch treats and lunches at their Northfield shop for the past 18 years.
Ann and Kate admit they have quite a serendipitous partnership. They grew up a couple of blocks from each other, their families attended the same church and they even went to the same culinary school; however, they didn’t meet until years after graduation. The ladies then began working at a bakery together and became fast friends.
After working together for five years, they wanted something they could call their own. They took the plunge and entered the world of small business. Three Tarts has since been known for using quality ingredients and traditional baking methods to create outstanding products that not only look beautiful, but taste divine.
Three Tarts has a number of mainstays they have offered since opening their doors, including their chocolate flourless cake, banana cake, tuna sandwich and chicken pesto panini. In addition to these staples, Ann and Kate love being creative and developing pop-up items and special seasonal treats such as Irish soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day, churros for Cinco de Mayo and beignets for Mardi Gras. (True Three Tarts followers know to “like” them on Facebook to keep up with their specials!)
The café’s menu is updated seasonally to incorporate as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible. They partner with eight farmers across the Midwest to bring everything from blueberries to mushrooms straight from farm to table. If you’re looking for delicious local flavor, the ladies recommend a breakfast sandwich- all of which feature eggs fresh from an Indiana farm.
Ann and Kate attribute some of their success to the Northfield community. They have had a loyal customer base since they opened their doors and are proud to employ high school students to serve at their front counter and decorate cookies. Ann and Kate cherish watching them grow and welcoming them into the always-growing Three Tarts family.
Ann and Kate say it best, “We’re very fortunate that we like what we do, and we still like each other after 23 years!” The community is also fortunate to have such a wonderful business call Northfield home.