HoochMKE, the cottage bakery known for its vegan sourdough bread and pastries, is about to get a home of its own.

On Nov. 7, owner Casey Elliott will debut HoochMKE as a pop-up bakery café at 3040 S. Delaware Ave., just in time for Vegan Restaurant Week. The opening menu will feature cinnamon rolls, croissants, Danish and coffee, with more offerings to come.

“In my mind, it’s a cross between Daily Bird and Urban Beets,” says Elliott, who will share the former Little Cancun space with John and Ona Cameron, owners of MKE Outdoor Indoor Exchange next door. The Camerons had expanded their shop into the former restaurant space, eventually adding The Canteen, a juice bar. But there was space to spare. Elliott noticed and she called to inquire about using the former restaurant kitchen for her baking business. The Camerons agreed.

“It’s happened really quickly, and it feels like a really good marriage,” Elliott says. “I can rent the kitchen and start out as a pop-up while we finalize the café layout.”

Initially, the menu will mirror HoochMKE’s offerings at the Riverwest and South Shore Farmers Markets. As the business grows, Elliott plans to add vegan breakfast sandwiches, lunch options, and more.

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Elliott’s path to baking

A Mississippi native, Elliott moved to Milwaukee years ago to work as a government contractor at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. Years later, after heading back home to care for her mother, who’d been diagnosed with cancer, she returned to the Cream City with what she describes as “a very strange resume” and no clear next step.

She turned to service industry jobs until burnout forced a change. Elliott quit bartending, stopped drinking, and began baking.

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“I’d started working on sourdough three years before because I missed home,” she recalls. “My sister always made this sweet bread for the holidays, and I tried to recreate it. It got to the point where I enjoyed baking so much more than going to work. And then, when the pandemic hit, I really fell back on baking.”

She began selling to friends, then built a following at local farmers markets. But by summer 2025, the limitations of a cottage business had her considering quitting altogether.

“It was hard to grow, I couldn’t take on wholesale accounts, and costs kept going up,” Elliott says. “I knew if I got another job, HoochMKE would have to go.”

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What to expect at HoochMKE

Elliott’s breads and pastries are fully vegan, but her goal is inclusivity.

“If you can tell it’s vegan, I didn’t do my job right,” she says. “One in 100 kids is born with an egg allergy. They deserve yummy food too. Vegan baking isn’t as niche anymore — it serves people with real dietary needs, and it can be delicious.”

Alongside breads, croissants and pastries, Elliott plans to offer sandwiches made with her housemade vegan meats and cheeses. 

“What’s more farm-to-table than plants?” she adds. “I make a lot of substitutes from oats and vital wheat gluten. It’s not lab-made — it’s better for you and it tastes good.”

She also envisions the potential for a “plate of the day” concept, similar to European cafés, with a daily special served until it sells out.

Opening is both exciting and daunting, Elliott admits. “I’m terrified, because it won’t just be breads and pastries anymore. But I love Bay View, and I’m excited to create my own space there.”

HoochMKE will open Nov. 7 with tentative hours Friday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.