DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – Uncle Mike’s Bake Shoppe plans to open a new location in the Appleton area. Franchise owner Mary VandeWalle says the new store will complete a family dream. 

“Uncle Mike, Mike VandeWalle, he was the mastermind behind our success here. He passed away, it will be two years on December 17th due to Covid,” said Vandewalle. 

As Vandewall remembers her late husband, her family plans to honor him in a major way. 

“We’re opening the new location, it was one of mike’s dreams and so my son and daughter decided to carry it out, and we’re going to do it,” said VandeWalle. 

The new store will be built near the W.G.&.R. Store at I-41 and Wisconsin Avenue in the Town of Grand Chute. VandeWalle says it will have more food than the average Uncle Mike’s. 

“It is going to be great; it’s going to be a little different than our original Uncle Mike’s. It’s going to be Uncle Mike’s Food Emporium. We are going to have woodfire pizza, there is going to be a restaurant, an ice cream parlor, a coffee shop, and our bakery,” stated VandeWalle. 

VandeWalle says opening a new store will present challenges, but her family will not settle until Uncle Mike’s dream is complete.  

“Oh, he would be ecstatic, I’m sure he’s really proud. We actually closed the loan Wednesday and that was Mike’s birthday. It is tough but with my children’s help, we can do this,” said VandeWalle. 

The new location is expected to open in June of 2023. It will be the bakery’s fourth location.