TURNING A DREAM INTO REALITY: NATALIE HARRIS OPENS SUPERIOR WAFFLES

By Molly Milroy

Turning a dream into a reality is what Natalie Harris, alongside her husband, Cal, accomplished last year by opening Superior Waffles, the first waffle bar in the Twin Ports. But it didn’t come easy. A lot of learning, planning and preparation went into starting the business.

“With all the challenges of opening a cafe, especially during COVID, she took a risk,” said Cal, an integrations specialist for ISD 709 who assists at the café when time allows.

That risk turned into a success. Superior Waffles officially opened in July 2021.

The dream

“Cal and I always had this little dream of opening a café and the timing was never right,” Harris said.

After being laid off from her marketing position at Essentia Health at the beginning of the pandemic, she knew the time was right.

“I just turned 40 and thought, hey, it’s a new decade, and we decided to do it.”

In July 2020, Natalie and Cal started brainstorming. A waffle bar seemed like an obvious choice as the two had spent years creating and experimenting with all kinds of unusual waffle recipes.

“We’ve always loved waffles. We’ve had a commercial waffle iron for eight years,” Harris said.

During those years they tried a variety of flavors, including cornbread batter and chili, hash browns and eggs, brownie batter, and cake batter.

Plan put to action

Opening a new business was an undertaking, but the couple was up to the task.

“We were like, ‘What do we do, we don’t have a business degree,’” she said.

As fate would have it, they received a flyer from the University of Wisconsin Superior with information on continuing education classes through the Small Business

Development Center. After taking multiple classes in fall 2020, they were ready to make their dream come true.

“From there, we started looking for a place,” Harris said.

When they walked into the former Zona Rosa building, they knew it was the right fit, explaining that the layout and lighting were ideal.

“We started renovating, working on the menu and taste testing — and gaining a few pounds along the way,” she said with a laugh.

Harris offers advice to those who are considering any similar endeavor.

“Don’t look at the whole staircase, focus on the step you need to complete first,” she said. “Tap into networking and connections, whether it’s with friends, family or associates. If people offer to help with something, typically they are genuine and want to help. Let them!”

Welcoming atmosphere

Located on Tower Avenue in Superior, this café shines with Harris’s creativity.

“Starting my own business gives me creative freedom … with marketing, design and recipes,” she said.

Using her graphic design degree and experience in marketing, she created a fun and welcoming atmosphere. The muted walls are decorated with local art, house plants and a large version of the business logo, which she also designed.

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There is a map hanging near the front counter where visitors have placed pins on the cities they are visiting from.

“There are people from all over the world who have been here,” she exclaimed. “That’s pretty cool!”

Variety of flavors

Waffle recipes come sweet and savory, giving customers a unique experience. Harris comes up with the creations, her artistic subconscious coming through at odd times.

“I’ve always loved to cook and bake,” she said. “Ideas come to me randomly. It’s a lot of playing and testing.”

The No. 1 seller, Strawberry Cheesecake, features a light and fluffy cheesecake spread, topped with strawberries, whipped cream, graham cracker crumble and powdered sugar. The Waffle Parfait, which includes yogurt, granola, fruit and honey, is another fan favorite.

“We get the honey from a local beekeeper,” she said.

The menu also offers real maple syrup, a wide variety of drinks, and side orders of bacon and sausage. Harris’s personal favorites are the Banana Bliss and Sconie, a waffle with ham, cheese and raspberry jam.

“And when I don’t feel like a waffle, I eat a chaffle” she said, explaining that a chaffle is eggs and cheese poured into the waffle iron, for a waffle-shaped omelet.

Small-business owner

The journey has been very rewarding for Harris and has provided an opportunity for her to meet people.

“The community has been really supportive. We’ve had a lot of regulars come in and I’ve got to know them, their names and their orders,” Harris said.

“It’s such a friendly environment,” said Duluth resident Shannon Guzzo, a regular at the café.

But making waffles, coming up with new recipes and interacting with customers is the front side of the business. Finding work-life balance has been a learning curve.

“In the beginning, it feels like it consumes you, but it does get better,” Harris said. “It takes time to find your flow and get used to the life as an entrepreneur.”

“Natalie multitasks well with all the business tasks, from running the café, accounting, marketing, payroll and everything else,” Cal said. “She’s crushing it!”

Continuing the dream

Harris’s entrepreneurial spirit is just beginning to flourish and the future of Superior Waffles is promising. Within two months of opening, she received requests for catering and events.

Harris, a natural artist, took the steps to make her initial dream happen.

“I had one of those ‘really want to do this dreams,’ but I didn’t know how,” she said.

Looking back, she wouldn’t trade it for a corporate job.

“I love being a small-business owner,” Harris said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crabby person here.” D

Molly Milroy is a Duluth freelance writer.