Genie McKinney and Lea Reitmeyer are co-owners set to open Genie’s 3 Wishes Bakery in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, in March 2025. Genie, who has been baking as a hobby for many years, previously worked as a cafeteria kitchen manager and assistant manager at a deli/bakery. “I got into cake decorating because I enjoy decorating and painting. I made sugar cookies with family for the first time a while back and fell in love,” she explains. Lea, who has 21 years of military service in the Navy and has no baking background, has supported Genie’s dream since they met, and together, they decided to open a bakery.

One of the biggest challenges they faced was obtaining an occupancy permit for their building, which it never had. “The struggle was figuring out what needed to be done to get that” Genie recalls. It took six months to secure the permit, which delayed their plans. Fortunately, once obtained, they were eligible to receive a loan through SEDA-COG to move their project forward.

Tom Keiffer, Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) business consultant, was a key source of support throughout the process. “No matter how discouraged we got, Tom always kept us motivated,” says Genie. “He helped us rewrite our business plan and explained the financial side when we were unsure.” Lea first learned about the SBDC through a referral from the state representative’s office in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

The bakery is generating excitement in the community, with interest growing even before the grand opening. “We’ve had a lot of interest, and people are excited about the bakery,” says Genie. Though she is working solo for now, she plans to hire staff once they’re more established. “I don’t want to hire anybody until I can afford to pay them,” she explains.

Genie’s 3 Wishes Bakery will offer custom cakes and plans to register as a veteran-owned and women-owned small business to help connect with others in the community. “We hope to provide something that makes people’s memorable moments even more memorable,” says Genie. Without Tom’s help, they likely wouldn’t have reached this point. “We would have felt defeated without his encouragement,” says Lea. Thanks to the support from the SBDC, they are ready to open their bakery in March 2025.