Rocket Baby Bakery Gets Off the Ground with a Fanfare

Seldom has a business launched on West North Avenue with such a gallery.

Mayor Kathy Ehley, former Mayor Terry Estness, Alds. Bobby Pantuso, Joel Tilleson and Jeff Roznowski, City Administrator Jim Archambo and Community and Economic Development Director Paulette Enders were on hand Friday evening for an official grand opening of Rocket Baby Bakery.

A contingent of Wauwatosa Chamber of Commerce representatives, led by Estness as current executive director, plus neighborhood leaders also crowded the dining area.

There's a reason this business opening made such a splash.

Rocket Baby is the first business to open under the auspices and assistance of the North Avenue Plan.

The district redevelopment and revitalization plan, adopted last year, is aimed at making the district more attractive to new entrepreneurs and helping them realize their visions.

Geoff and Shannon Trenholme, owners of Rocket Baby, worked with the city for a year to get the bakery off the ground. Their "soft opening" came a month ago, but they reserved Friday night for an official ribbon-cutting and Saturday morning for their public grand opening.

Saturday was the second birthday of their son, Raiden – aka, Rocket Baby.

The North Avenue Plan identifies the two-block area that includes Trenholme’s building as the first area within the 16-block business district for redevelopment.

Trenholme secured a $74,250 Community Development Block Grant for new equipment, a grant tied to new job creation. The bakery is expected to create five full-time positions within the first year. He also had city support to gain approval for a low-interest $100,000 loan through the city’s Revolving Loan Fund.