Apr. 29, 2025 4:30p
(WGTD)---Elsie Mae's homecoming has been spoiled by fire.
Ever since losing her lease to a downtown Kenosha location in 2020, Kelly Deem has been dreaming of returning her popular bakery and canned-goods business to the city.
A few months ago, Deem took control of a building that once housed Uncle Mike's Highway Pub on East Frontage Rd. off of I-94 in Kenosha. "This was going to be amazing," said Deem as she stood next to the charred remains of her dream.
Just a few hours after securing city permits to launch "Elsie Mae's Pies and Pints", a fire of unknown origin destroyed the place.
A passerby noticed flames coming from the roof around 3 a.m. The blaze was so intense that firefighters had to abandon efforts to save the building. The fire was under control about an hour later, but the building was declared a total loss. There were no injuries.
After leaving Kenosha in 2020, Deem moved her business to a location in Milwaukee then out to Lake Mills, where she continues to operate her kitchen.
The new Kenosha location was to blend her signature home-made pies and canned goods with a welcoming tavern atmosphere that would include craft beer and spiked fruit lemonades, according to city documents. The business was to employ six full-time workers and 14 part-timers.
Deem said "Elsie Mae's Pies and Pints" was planning to open for Mother's Day.
Less than 12 hours after the flames were extinguished, Deem was already thinking about the future. "We've been through a lot in the last five years and the one thing I've had to learn the hard way is every bad thing that has happened is an opportunity," she said. "Our next option has to be bigger and better. We can't quit now."
The fire department says the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Deem told a reporter early Tuesday afternoon that she was still exploring just what percentage of the loss will be covered by insurance.
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