Need a quick brownie fix? Somewhere you can have the vibe of a bakery with the joy of beer and espresso? Time to get local, folks. Whether you’re from small town Iowa or big town wherever, it’s time to explore what Indianola has to offer. This week we are focusing on Mishmash Eats & Sweets.

What is Mishmash Eats & Sweets? According to the owners, it is only the “quintessential local business.”

Before even knowing Mishmash’s tagline was “Delicious. Local. Quaint,” it was clear they embodied all of these. This place was quaint. Worthy of any Pinterest board with the industrial lighting, soft colors and chalkboard with hand-drawn doodles and the menu.

The owner, Katie Baker, is an Indianola native. “We have espresso, we have beer, we have food, we’re open until six, come study,” Baker said, encouraging Simpson students to come check it out.

Baker went from being a member of the community to a business owner. “It’s been a lot of fun, to get to know a lot of community members. You know them in different ways now. I’ve known them all my life, but now you know them more personally, you grow a different relationship with them,” Baker said.

Baker graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. “I graduated college, went in the corporate field for a while, didn’t really like it, always loved baking. So, I kind of just took a leap,” Baker said about the business, mentioning how scary it was to take that leap.

Mishmash has been open for the past five years and has been in its current location for two years. Starting off with just a kitchen in their original location, Baker wanted to have seating and more room.

Baker has had experience in restaurants and catering before opening her own business. “I kind of did some catering on the side of my parents house so I cooked out there for, I think, a year, and then I decided I wanted a brick and mortar, so I opened up a small place on the other side of the Square,” Baker said.

Baker mentioned the experience has taken a lot of work and been a lot of learning.

“Every other day it’s different, we don’t know if there’s going to be people in here, some days it’s packed, some days we have nothing, and that’s just a rollercoaster at all times,” Baker said.

Simpson student Kasiah Ehresman has been working at Mishmash since October. “A typical workday for me usually consists of doing dishes, processing biscuits, making salad dressings and chopping vegetables,” Ehresman said.

Ehresman said working at Mishmash is enjoyable because of the friendly atmosphere and her bosses being understanding if she makes a mistake.

“I would highly recommend Mishmash to college students because it’s a great place right off campus to hang out, relax with friends and eat some good food,” Ehresman said.

Ehresman said students should take notice of local businesses like Mishmash and stop in to enjoy the treats, food or drinks.

“I haven’t tried everything on the menu, but I know for a fact that their double chocolate brownies are to die for,” Ehresman said.