Women-owned businesses are growing in Fond du Lac. Here are 30-plus to check out this Women's History Month and beyond
FOND DU LAC – Women-owned salons and businesses can empower women and other clients that use their services, which is what Sarah Sippel aimed to do with Stel&Shay Salon.
Sippel opened the salon, 131 S. Main St., in 2019 with three other independent stylists: Danielle Rickmeyer, Sam McLaughlin and permanent makeup artist Lisa Head. The four of them soon grew to eight, each with their own business and functioning as one like-minded team, with more to come as Sippel said the salon works to expand by the end of the summer.
The salon welcomes everyone for an array of services targeting hair, makeup, nails and waxing, and the goal of the business is to empower its clients and help them recreate the looks they want from their own homes.
"It isn't very satisfying to produce a style or beauty routine for a customer that they can not replicate on their own," Sippel said. "When given the knowledge and tools behind the choices we, as stylists, make, our guests gain more confidence."
She added that she and the other stylists feel like proud parents when clients send pictures of looks they created on their own.
Stel&Shay Salon is one of many women-owned businesses in Fond du Lac, and in honor of Women's History Month, Streetwise rounded up a list of other businesses you can support the rest of this month and all year round.
As of the most recent U.S. Census data in 2017, the city has 87 women-owned employer firms, compared to 402 men-owned employer firms. This is by no means a definitive list, but many of the businesses included have opened since 2017.
Here are some women-led clothes, art and other retailers
Lillians of Fond du Lac, 27 S. Main St., has been downtown for more than 10 years, founded on owner Tracy Mathweg's goal to offer modern and trendy clothes and accessories that make women feel stylish and good about themselves — and to have fun as they shop.
Argentum et Aurum owner Monica Lara recently moved the business to 111 S. Main St. after about two years of selling handmade jewelry downtown. Since her 2020 opening, Lara has added clothing, perfume, decor and other gifts to the shop.
Julie Balson has been at the helm of Gallery & Frame Shop, 94 S. Main St., since she bought the business from her parents in 2002. While the shop is known for custom framing and art consultation, it also features local artists and sells prints, cards and other gifts.
Trista Holz, owner of Trista Holz Studios at 13 E. First St., exhibits local art in her studio in addition to her own. Her specialty is fused glass, but she also works in textiles and metal, and teaches workshops and classes for all skill levels.
Lunar & Lake Book Market, 74 S. Main St., opened in 2020 under owner Margaux Mich, who brought new and classic book releases to downtown Fond du Lac, as well as book- and reading-related gifts.
Main Street Fashion, 117 S. Main St., markets itself on selling "upscale resale," new or gently used clothing and accessories in an ever-changing variety of styles. Owner Julie Day-Willey opened the shop in 2014 to offer a boutique experience at affordable prices.
In early 2020, Bekki Fishelson Kuber fulfilled her dream of opening a store on Main Street when she brought her essential oil business Blue Marble Botanicals downtown to 28 N. Main St. The store offers a wide line of oils, body care, candles and other products.
Last month, Fishelson Kuber and her husband Vince Kuber also opened Copper Cock Tavern next door as a cocktail bar and fine-dining restaurant.
Women-owned restaurants range from bacon to confectionary dishes
Local brunch staple Sweet & Salty Pig, 99 W. Pioneer Road, offers a mainly pork-featured menu — from sausage gravy-laden dishes to maple bacon waffles with chicken — but owners Janis Michaels and Allison Gossman also bring creativity to the table with weekly specials, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Sarah Palas and Brandee Alexander first met while working at the Coliseum, and now they own church-turned-restaurant The Cellar District together, offering a farm-to-table dining experience featuring local and fresh ingredients.
Since its 2016 opening, Annie's Fountain City Café, 72 S. Main St., has become well-known to regular downtown shoppers and gatherers. Owner Annie Culver focuses on community involvement at the same time that she serves coffee, sweet or savory breakfast and soup.
CC's Chocolates, 57 N. Macy St., evolved from a counter in Annie's Fountain City Cafe to a standalone store in 2021, offering confections, baked goods and other food handmade by owner Claudette Rahmer, including truffles, fudge, cheesecake, tiramisu, quiche and soup.
Sara Cujak is a third-generation store owner, though while her grandfather started a food market, she specializes in wine with Cujak's Wine & Spirits, 47 N. Main St. Not only does she have retail wine, she offers a wine bar and wine and whiskey membership clubs, as well as a seasonal offering of olive oil and vinegar.
Los Mezcales Bar & Grill, 156 Western Ave., opened in 2020 and offers a variety of Mexican dishes, though owner Marlene Ocampo told The Reporter last fall that some of the most popular items have been the Oscar's famous fish fry and its birria — stewed beef that can be served on its own with corn tortillas or as the meat choice for most of the menu items.
Jane Braun started a health food store in 1982, though it wasn't called Village Market Specialty Foods until 1984, according to its website. Now, the shop at 806 S. Main St. offers groceries, supplements and organic produce as well as soup and smoothies.
Recently, lifelong Fond du Lac resident Sandy Ritchie bought downtown retro eatery Connie's Diner at 175 S. Main St. and renamed it The Diner, though she kept the 1950s theme with the furnishings and menu items, including malts, pie, pancakes, omelets, patty melts and other burgers.
Women lead the beauty and wellness industry in Fond du Lac
The stylists at Mojo Hair Studio, 82 N. Main St., offer a wide variety of services in addition to hair care, including manicures and pedicures, waxing, eyelash extensions, massages and facials. While Danielle Jacques-Hester owns the business, the team at Mojo includes independent stylists and estheticians.
Fond du Lac has a number of other hair studios and day spas helmed by women, including Bespoke, Sesso Bella Salon, Renaissance Salon and Spa and Opal Studios.
More:Hair Lounge alums open Opal Studios with new vibe, same focus on self-love | Streetwise
Lucy Mathers opened infrared yoga studio The Twisted Warrior, 15 N. Main St., second floor, last summer, and recently added "salty sessions" in a room down the hall called The Salty Dog, offering salt therapy through easy yoga, meditation or just relaxation.
Co-owned by Kelly Collien and Sam Baker, Onyx Yoga, 39 W. Scott St., opened in October with more chances at trying hot yoga, and it most recently added a Pilates series this spring.
Into the Woods Wellness, 1424 Lynn Ave., is brand new to Fond du Lac's business scene, with Katie Abhold leading a team of wellness guides in alternative and holistic health services. Offerings include: coaching; infrared, salt or ionic detox services; IV nutrient therapy; and Bio-Electro-Magnetic-Energy-Regulation therapy, according to its website intothewoodsjourney.com.
Fond du Lac women also lead escape rooms, celebration services and other specialty businesses
La Paloma has helped quinceanera celebrations across the Fox Valley come to fruition for more than 20 years and has had its own storefront at 344 S. Military Road since January 2022. Owner Mayte Pena offers planning, invitations, photography and dresses for the events, and provides resources on booking other services, including music and hair.
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Emily Zimmerman opened The Great Escape, 21 N. Portland St., Suite 1A, in 2021 with her husband Chad, who builds the rooms. The "Prison Break" room has been going strong since the opening, and "Holme Robbery" was introduced last month, tasking players to find a stolen item and the thief before time runs out and both get away.
"The Pirate's Secret" room will open Friday, giving players — who have been taken hostage aboard the Drunken Squid ship — the goal to find the ship's hidden treasure and escape before Captain Cain The Cantankerous sends them down the plank, according to The Great Escape website.
Roxanne Elise Photography, 15 N. Main St., has been a part of the community since 2011. Roxanne Abler specializes in senior portraits, headshots, personal and professional branding photography and pageant portraits, including the portraits for Miss Fond du Lac 2022, Zoe Leu.
Christine Anderson of Being Christine, 27 N. Main St., also specializes in photographing senior portraits, as well as family portraits, headshots and small business packages, which come with both photos and content coaching for marketing a growing business on social media.
Sara von Tresckow opened Woolgatherers, now at 35 N. Main St., downtown in 2006. The specialty store offers fiber arts supplies and books for weaving, spinning, felting and dyeing. Woolgatherers also offers basic weaving classes, workshops and online resources to learn more on its website, woolgatherers.com.
Boudry Dental, 343 N. Peters Ave., is often voted as the top dentist in The Reporter's Best of Fond du Lac, including for 2022. Dentist Tammy Boudry and her team are dedicated to both dental health and giving back to the community, whether through volunteering, hosting donation drives or promoting fundraising efforts across the community.
Some of these fundraisers include Bailey's Gift Fund for therapy and service dogs, Amy's Amyzing Smiles to bring affordable orthodontic care to young adults and #MasonStrong Day, which helped raise nearly $70,000 to help a North Fond du Lac boy relearn to walk with a gait trainer.
Readers share their favorite women-owned businesses
Readers are helping out Streetwise by speaking up about women business owners they feel deserve recognition. Here are some favorites so far:
Mother-daughter duo Rosa Aguilar and Denise Valdez own Hometown Nutrition, 293 W. Scott St., selling protein tea and coffee, as well as energizing teas.
Elizabeth Ransom Vasquez is the long-time owner of Sombreros Restaurant, 445 N. Pioneer Road, serving Mexican and American food, from fajitas to barbecue pork sandwiches, with margaritas on tap.
Kari Cobb owns Fond du Lac Acupuncture Clinic, 885 Western Ave., Suite 500, and utilizes acupuncture for stress management, pain treatment, digestive issues and more.
McKenna Lefeber owns Rae of Light Dance Studio, 21 N. Portland St., and teaches ballet, tap and jazz dances as she grows the studio she opened last summer.
Paytan Schmidt owns PS, Beauty Lounge, 61 N. Main St., and specializes in spray tans and eyelash extensions, while her team also offers waxing, facials and eyebrow services.
Brenda Paulin owns Essential Nail Garden & Lash Lounge, 815 Wisconsin Ave., backed by a team that offers manicures, pedicures and eyelash extensions.
Sue Hoehnen owns Ubuntu Art Space, 52 E. Division St., which features and sells works from local artists, including paintings, greeting cards, sculptures and other decorations.
Rachel Reader owns Arbor Acres, 45 N. Main St., with her husband as a tree cutting service alongside a downtown plant and garden supply store with build-your-own terrariums.
Did we miss your favorite woman-owned business? Let us know by contacting Daphne Lemke at dlemke@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Women-owned businesses in Fond du Lac include shops, salons and cafes
