10/12/2026
🌟 FARIBAULT COUNTY SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT! 🌟
Kee Kafe Catering & Bummy’s BBQ Food Truck
Kiester, Minnesota
From a small-town café to a thriving catering and food truck business, Michele and Jerry Alphs have built something pretty special!
In 2013, Michele and Jerry took a leap of faith and purchased a building in downtown Kiester to open Kee Kafe. Just a few months after opening, an electrical fire caused significant damage to their new business. But they weren't about to give up! With determination and a little rebuilding, they reopened their doors.
In 2015, Jerry had an idea. Why not take their food on the road? What started with a tent at local events eventually grew into Bummy's BBQ Food Truck!
When COVID-19 forced their café to close in 2020, their mobile business became a lifeline. Rather than reopening the café, they transformed the space into a commercial kitchen and storage facility to support their growing catering and food truck operations.
And grow they have! Last year alone, Kee Kafe catered 16 weddings, along with numerous corporate events, while Bummy's BBQ continued serving customers at fairs, festivals, and community gatherings.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
For Michele and Jerry, food has always been about more than just a meal. As part of a blended family of eight, they've always loved cooking and bringing people together.
Their family continues to play an important role in the business, especially during the holiday season!
SPEAKING OF THE HOLIDAYS... LET'S TALK COOKIES!
This year marks Michele's 8th year offering Christmas Cookie Platters!
These platters are truly a family production. Michele, her mom, grandson, and other family members come together in an assembly-line operation to prepare an assortment of 12 different kinds of cookies!
Keep an eye on their page! Their Christmas cookie menu is expected to be released before Halloween!
And don't forget, during the colder months, Kee Kafe also offers freezer meals!
DID YOU KNOW THEY CATER, TOO?
You may recognize Bummy's BBQ Food Truck from your favorite summer events, but there's a whole other side of this business you might not know about!
Kee Kafe Catering offers a much broader menu than what you'll find at the food truck. From weddings and corporate gatherings to other special occasions, Michele and Jerry love helping people celebrate with great food.
They're hoping to spread the word about their catering services and connect with more businesses, event venues, and organizations looking for catering options.
MORE THAN JUST BUSINESS
One of the things Michele shared during our visit was how special the food truck community has become to them. Fellow vendors aren't just competitors or familiar faces at events. They've become a second family.
And something else from our conversation really stuck with me.
Michele talked about how even when an event doesn't go as planned or the sales aren't what you'd hoped for, there's still value in showing up. You never know who might be in that crowd. Maybe it's someone planning a wedding, a business owner looking for catering, or a future customer who remembers your food months down the road.
Every event is an opportunity to make a connection.
I think that's a wonderful reminder for any small business owner. Success isn't always measured by what you sell that day. It's about the relationships you're building along the way.
Whether you're planning a wedding, organizing a company event, craving some delicious BBQ, or looking forward to holiday cookie platters, keep Kee Kafe Catering and Bummy's BBQ in mind!
📍 117 N. Main Street, Kiester, MN (commercial kitchen; café not open for dine-in)
📞 507-383-0169
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.keekafe.com
👍 Follow their page for food truck locations, catering updates, freezer meals, and those upcoming Christmas Cookie Platters!
Thank you, Michele, for taking the time to visit with the Faribault County EDA and share your story! Your family's resilience, adaptability, and passion for feeding people are a wonderful example of the entrepreneurial spirit that makes our rural communities special.
