The newly renovated dining area of Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Roll’s new location in the Redbud Terrace Shops on Main Street. With expansive seating, two new kitchens and a large patio, the Chilcotes are eager to open and greet customers once again.
Abigail Youmans | The Democrat
The ordering counter at Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls.
Abigail Youmans | The Democrat
Kathleen said her style is “eclectic,” gathering items that speak to her, even some given by customers. One such item, the “Gnaw Bone Food and Fuel” sign, was given to them by local realtor Bob Kirlin.
Abigail Youmans | The Democrat
Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls has their custom hot sauce for sale, as well as T-shirts promoting the business. Artwork by local artist Martha Bowman will be featured for the first month after they open.
Abigail Youmans | The Democrat
Kathleen Chilcote, Josh Miller and David Chilcote stand on the patio of Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls’ new location on Main Street. The patio has extensive outdoor seating for guests to enjoy.
Abigail Youmans | The Democrat
Kathleen Chilcote, Josh Miller and David Chilcote stand on the patio Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls’ new location on Main Street. The patio has extensive outdoor seating for guests to enjoy.
Abigail Youmans | The Democrat
Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls owners David and Kathleen Chilcote pose for a photo in their old store front in the Camelot Building on Washington Street. The Chilcotes began selling their homemade cinnamon rolls at farmers markets in Brown County before opening up shop in Nashville. The cinnamon rolls weigh in at about one pound and are made with fresh ingredients. Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls offers homemade breakfast and lunch, too.
Democrat file photo
The caramel apple cinnamon roll is Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls’ top-selling treat. Owners David and Kathleen Chilcote have recently moved their storefront to East Main Street. They began selling their homemade cinnamon rolls at farmers markets in Brown County. The rolls weigh in at about one pound and are made with fresh ingredients. Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls now offers homemade breakfast and lunch, too.
Democrat file photo
Kathleen Chilcote gets goosebumps anytime she thinks of the upcoming reopening of her business in its new location.
“I get goosebumps just talking about it. I’m so ready, we’re so ready,” she said.
Kathleen and her husband David own Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls and So Much More, which had been on Washington Street since it opened in 2018.
With a small kitchen space in their first shop and a high demand in business, they found themselves needing a bigger space.
They were approached by the owners of the Redbud Terrace Shops on East Main Street, who wanted to know if the Chilcotes would want to anchor the building.
They agreed and at the end of last year they closed temporarily as they began the process of moving to a new location and making the renovations necessary to convert it into a café.
Part of the delay was due to waiting for a custom hood for the ovens in the kitchen. Now they’re waiting on inspections and finishing touches.
“We’ve been so disappointed because we missed out on February and March, now April, very important months for us,” David said.
The Chilcotes hope to be open sometime in early May.
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“I am crossing my fingers it will be May,” Kathleen said. “I would love to be open by Mother’s Day Weekend.”
Their catering business has grown and their customer base is bigger, but Kathleen said they haven’t changed too much about their process.
When they reopen, customers can expect food and fun, she said.
“We tried to recreate the ambiance we had over there so when people walk in over here they have the same feel that they had over there,” David said. “Part of that success is that feel. People love what they experience at Ooey Gooey.”
They’re most excited to give their customers more seating. At their Washington Street location, seating was split between the downstairs and upstairs levels.
In their new spot, they have their own patio, more counter seating and everyone will be together.
“Just looking forward to seeing everybody again,” Kathleen said. “We’re happy to be here for them.”
“Ready to be here again”
The vision to make cinnamon rolls for a living came to Kathleen in a dream in 2016.
At the time, the couple lived in Naples, Florida. Kathleen was an automotive manufacturing recruiter. David was a children’s counselor and director of a home health company.
Over the next couple of months, Kathleen perfected a cinnamon roll recipe.
The couple decided to quit their jobs, sell their house, put their belongings in storage and go on a journey to find a new town that would support a cinnamon roll business.
They traveled for 60 days throughout the United States, from the Carolinas to Georgia to Kentucky.
Nashville was their last stop.
They began selling their cinnamon rolls at local farmers markets, then they’d share their leftovers with the employees at the former Pine Room Tavern. Owner Betsy Oblack allowed them to sell the rolls there, too.
After the Pine Room closed, the couple took the opportunity to start their own shop in the Camelot Building at Van Buren and Washington streets.
The Chilcotes sell made-from-scratch lunches and breakfasts, along with other baked goods, like brownies and pies.
The caramelized apple ooey gooey cinnamon roll is the overall bestselling product. But they also offer 19 other different flavors of cinnamon rolls, from cherry chocolate to peach cobbler.
Discounts are given to Brown County High School students. The cafe and bakery also has a repeat customer card that gets customers a free cinnamon roll after it’s punched 10 times.
Kathleen has a degree in gourmet cooking and had experience with catering, but never had the opportunity to do a lot of baking before opening Ooey Gooey.
The couple has many children and grandchildren living in Chicago, Ohio and Indiana. Moving to Nashville allowed them to be closer to them, too.
In a new and bigger space, complete with two kitchens, they’re eager to open up and welcome customers.
The Chilcotes pride themselves on customer service and creating a feel good experience for their guests.
From singing “Happy Birthday,” to giving customers a free treat if theirs is the “Name of the Day,” David said they’ll create an experience for customers to want to come back.
“We have missed our customers terribly,” David said. “We have grown close to a lot of our customers, like friendly close.”
“We’re just ready to be here again for them,” Kathleen added.
