The Story Behind the yankee Doodle Deli…..Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
How did a Speech-Language Pathologist become “The Pretzel Lady”?
Many have asked so I’ll tell you.....
Yankee Doodle was my constant companion in a previous job and she accompanied me on many visits to nursing homes where I was a Rehab Consultant. I was then knows as "The Lady with the Dog." Residents looked forward to her visits.
When Yankee died at the age of twelve
in October 2004 I started cooking for my friends and co-workers at the Drake Center
and it was a perfect way to deal with my sadness. I cooked…and cooked….and
cooked. I couldn’t keep up with the orders for black bean lasagna, white bean
chili, hummus, turkey salami….. I would find myself chopping onions and red
peppers at 3AM. I knew I needed to
rethink this hobby so I decided to focus on just the pretzels.
My first account was Marie’s Gift Shop at Drake Center and that was August 2005. The proceeds benefit the Friends of Drake (LINK) which is a nonprofit Foundation that provides services and equipment to patients. This was a win-win.
My first account was Marie’s Gift Shop at Drake Center and that was August 2005. The proceeds benefit the Friends of Drake (LINK) which is a nonprofit Foundation that provides services and equipment to patients. This was a win-win.
On New year’s Day 2005 another Sheltie named Karma, came into my life. I met Jan and Tom Lindstedt through the Drake Center and they were aware of Yankee’s death. They alerted me that a six year old Sheltie needed a new home. She was a previous championship show dog and is gorgeous. I did not intend to get another companion so soon but we bonded immediately. She could be Yankee’s twin and I am indeed blessed with another terrific little dog. In fact, she tells the story of the business on the back of the 8 and 16 oz. packages of Zels.
OPERATIONS NOW IN COVINGTON, KY….
Where’s your storefront?
We don’t have one ….YET. We have produced our pretzels in various facilities all over the tri-state area. We started in a rented communal kitchen in Madisonville that closed after we were there several months. We then took to the road and drove to ACEnet in Athens, Ohio for a long time. The staff there was very instrumental in getting the nuts and bolts of the business established. I miss my crew of wonder workers.
For Christmas, the ACEnet crew presented
Marilyn with this beautiful quilt made by Jenny Parker
For a year and a half we used facilities provided by The Point/Arc of Northern KY. This is a nonprofit organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One of their missions is to provide job training and we are fortunate to have some of their graduates on the payroll. We have also served as a training location for their clients -- a win-win relationship. It is a fantastic organization doing such worthwhile work.
In January 2009 we moved operations to our own space and it is fabulous. We have lots of room to expand as the growth of the business continues to climb. It is in Covington and is serving our needs well. It is strictly a production facility. Please visit one of the many retailers for purchases!
I hope you enjoy your Zels! It's a guarantee that you will!
Marilyn Baker
The Yankee Doodle Deli
Marilyn Baker
The Yankee Doodle Deli
