Jan. 11, 2021 8:50p
(WGTD)---A family-owned bakery in Kenosha was in danger of going out of business because of the pandemic. But a heart-felt Facebook post--and the subsequent response from the community--may have turned things around.
Anne Benson, owner of Oliver's Bakery on Roosevelt Road, told her Facebook friends Thursday night that business was down substantially, and that her application for a loan from the Federal Paycheck Protection Plan had been rejected. As a result, Benson was thinking about closing for good. Oliver's--launched in 1941 by Kenny Oliver--had become a Kenosha institution.
The next day, customers streamed in non-stop. The same thing happened on Saturday. Customers literally cleaned the place out. "I'm just overwhelmed by all of this support," Benson said Monday. "It just makes me humbled. It's just amazing. That's why I love this town," she said.
Benson, who runs the business with her son, spent Sunday working to replenish the shelves for Monday morning.
As grateful as she is for the support, Benson is still concerned for the bakery's long-term future. "I'm going to fight until I no longer can to keep it open," she said.
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