by Hayley Olson
Jolie Olie’s Sweet Shoppe is coming to St. Joseph. Soon, the vacancy left behind by Sliced Pizza will have a new look. Jo Wood, otherwise known as Jolie, is owner and founder of Jolie Olie’s.
Wood has always had a passion for baking and has a culinary degree from Anoka-Hennepin Technical College. But other professions kept her busy in the past. She spent 21 years as a paramedic, 16 years as a firefighter and many years as a death investigator. But through it all, Wood never lost her passion for baking.
Wood started Jolie Olie’s after quitting her day job. She said she felt like she had missed so many opportunities and no longer wanted to miss a thing.
This isn’t her first time in the culinary world. Wood used to be the catering coordinator for Coborn’s. In fact, you can still find Jolie Olie’s scones in the Coborn’s bakery today if you want to try some of Wood’s creations before the bakery opens. The scones are a customer favorite and come in a variety of flavors from blueberry to lemon to chocolate.
The opening date for Jolie Olie’s is set for March, with both a soft and hard opening. More details on that to come.
Currently, Wood and her family are working on readying the kitchen for production before they move on to the retail space.
Wood says this adventure is her happiness, it has never been about the money, but about her passion and the fun. She and her husband Ben feel as if this is just meant to be, given their names are Jo and Ben and they are opening in St. Joseph (Jo) and are across from the College of St. Benedict (Ben). The whole family is supportive of her adventure and has been a part of the operations, including her three kids who are 19, 17 and 16.
While everything she makes is custom ordered, you might also find some unusual treats as Wood loves to use a variety of flavors in her creations. Currently she is working on savory flavors for the scones such as sausage and peppers, and potato and chive. And you might also find some candy sculpting sweets too.
Wood says this has been her “sweetest job ever,” and it’s all, “for the love of sweets.”
Keep your eyes peeled for the new sign in the shop that will be up in the next few weeks. For now, you can get a taste of what’s to come at the Jolie Olie’s website: https://www.jolieolies.com/
Jo Wood, owner of Jolie Olie’s.
