FAMILY TIES. The Ice Cream and Bakery Shop located at the former Sue's Bakeshop, 1319 Birch St., Eau Claire, is a beautiful example of community families coming together

Don’t let the aptly and self-evident name of The Ice Cream and Bakery Shop lull you into believing that this is your typical family-run purveyor of baked goods and icy treats. While the family-run descriptor is accurate with three families (the Martinez, the Marquez-Solis, and the Hallquist families) invested in the business, the sum of the parts that make up The Ice Cream and Bakery Shop tells an immeasurably different story than most.

Transforming what was once an iconic Eau Claire location – Sue’s Bake Shop – was no small feat for the families involved. The Martinez and Marquez-Solis families partnered with Jim and Pat Hallquist to help bring to sweet fruition the former’s dreams to run a Mexican bakery and the latter’s to own an ice cream shop. The coalescence of these families’ dreams has resulted in a beautiful store that provides the foodie community of Eau Claire a chance to indulge in multicultural offerings that will expand the confectionary palates of those who partake in the shop’s sugary and baked treats.

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(OPENING DAY) FELT ALMOST UNREAL AND UNBELIEVABLE BECAUSE ALL OF OUR DREAMS WERE COMING TRUE. It was a really proud moment for all.

MAYA ACA-MARTINEZ

DAUGHTER OF CO-OWNER MAYRET MARTINEZ

The comforting familiarity of the shop’s frozen ice cream offerings pair well with the alluring Mexican baked treats such as trozos, mini-conchas, and roscas. The Mexican baked goods are made with simple ingredients with no additives, carrying on the all-natural recipes and techniques of Sue Ranney, who owned Sue’s Bake Shop.

Mayret Martinez of The Ice Cream and Bakery Shop says that the new menu is an homage to both Mexican baking techniques and traditional American methods. This is evident in the Martinez and Marquez-Solis families’ efforts to incorporate Sue’s legacy into the new shop by collaborating with Ranney in learning some of her recipes.

“The blending of Mexican and American techniques will take some time to perfect, and we will focus on making really good baked goods and on quality,” Mayret said. “In making the Mexican baked goods at the shop, our family has grown something special that we can share with everyone else.”

Having just celebrated their grand opening on June 10, the families shared their excitement in both the anticipation leading up to that date and the support from the community.

“Opening weekend was fun, and we actually opened earlier than expected. That day felt almost unreal and unbelievable because all of our dreams were coming true. It was a really proud moment for all,” said Maya Aca-Martinez, Mayret’s daughter.

“We would like to thank everyone from the community for coming in and supporting our growing business. We will try our best to give the best service and to make the best baked goods,” Mayret added.

Inside the shop.

Come indulge in and explore all that The Ice Cream and Bakery Shop has to offer at 1319 Birch St., Eau Claire. Visit their Facebook page for daily menus.