Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from across the tri-states. This edition highlights recent developments in Dubuque and Cascade, Iowa.

A business for all ages opened over the weekend in Dubuque.

Goose and Giggles Play Cafe opened Saturday at 3339 Hillcrest Road.

Aside from offering an indoor play place for children, owner Mackenzie Benter said the business brings a variety of experiences catering to both children and adults.

“We want parents to be able to be parents and kids to be kids at the same place at an affordable price,” she said.

The concept of Goose and Giggles came from Benter’s own experience as a mother of two young children. Her daughters are 2 and 1 years old.

“I just realized there was little for kids to do at this age,” Benter said.

The play area has various structures that accommodate kids of different ages, Benter said. There is also a sensory-safe room children can go to if they get overwhelmed.

A half-wall allows parents to see their kids as they play. Otherwise, parents can enjoy coffee and a variety of breakfast and cafe-style foods, with some menu items tailored toward kids, Benter said. Parents can bring laptops and use the cafe area as a coworking space, she said.

“We just want to build a solid community,” Benter said. “We want everyone to be able to check us out and find another home.”

The play cafe has an educational approach, Benter said, such as featuring a weekly Golden Goose Academy, led by local educators and inspired by Montessori principles. Among the play area items is a “flight lab,” which allows children to experiment with various objects in a wind tunnel.

“We’re going to teach hands-on, STEM learning,” she said.

Goose and Giggles gives children an electronics-free learning environment, Benter added.

“We want to be able to show kids there’s more than screens,” she said.

For more information or to reserve play time, go to gooseandgigglesplaycafe.com. Options include a single play pass, 10-pack play pass and unlimited membership.

The play cafe is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, Benter said she is “playing it by ear” for now and might change the hours as the business grows and as schools are out for the summer.

Iowa catering company expands to Dubuque

Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based caterer Peppercorn Food Co. has entered the Dubuque market. The company recently opened a location at

2400 Central Ave.

Jude Villafana, who owns the company with his wife, Carrie Quast, said the company was born out of Cedar Rapids restaurant Popoli’s catering wing. Villafana managed that restaurant for five years.

“COVID hit in March 2020 and the restaurant, like any restaurant, started to decline, (but) catering stayed flat,” Villafana said.

That trend inspired Villafana to buy out the catering portion of the business when the restaurant shuttered in December 2020.

“We pride ourselves on custom catering,” Villafana said of Peppercorn Food Co.

The company offers traditional American fare — meat and potatoes, Villafana said — but also southwestern dishes, seafood and can accommodate other requests.

“We do approachable food that we kick up a notch,” Villafana said. “There’s a lot of little surprises that people keep coming back for.”

Villafana said he decided to open a Dubuque location because he already had a prominent presence in the Galena, Ill., market. Last year, he catered 23 weddings in Galena.

“We were servicing them out of Cedar Rapids and cooking on site,” he said. “By having a location in Dubuque, that gives us an opportunity to be more available.”

The Central Avenue location is not just a kitchen — there is a dining area for events.

“We’ll be sending catering orders out of the back door and having events out front,” Villafana said.

For more information, visit peppercornfoodcompany.com.

Cascade bakery closes as owner retires

A prominent Cascade dessert bakery has closed up shop.

Koppes Kreations, at 109 Adams St. SE, was open for the last time Saturday. Owner Nikki Steffen held a retirement party the night prior.

Steffen, who said she always had a knack for baking, started decorating cakes about 25 years ago. Her popular business got its start when she decorated a cake for her daughter. Soon, she was decorating cakes for family members and others, continuously growing over the years from her home bakery until the business moved into its current location in 2021.

“We let it organically grow, basically,” Steffen said.

The business started with custom cakes but later added cupcakes — a trend of the 2000s, she said — and then cookies, among other sweet offerings.

“It’s a business we’ve been able to grow with the trends, with what customers want,” she said.

With her children now grown and some living far from home, Steffen said she hopes to take time to visit them once she auctions off her remaining inventory at the end of May. She said she is unsure what her next step would be after her travels.

Steffen said she considered selling the business at first, but said she thought it would be difficult to find a buyer interested in a bakery offering not just baked goods, but high-end decorating services as well.

Ultimately, she said she wanted to go out on her own terms.

In the meantime, Steffen said she has been overwhelmed with support and love since announcing her retirement.

“I’ve been honored, touched (by finding out how) what I did for (customers) affected their lives and how many people reached out saying they’ll miss us,” she said.

Steffen said she did not quite realize her significance to so many in the community before her recent announcement to close.

“I’m so blessed,” she said. “I was more than just a birthday cake in their house.”