The ‘Best of Iowa’ can be found in Kalona

It turns out the 'Best of Iowa” can be found in the heart of downtown Kalona. Lori Witthoft celebrated the grand opening of her store on Monday, April 1, and has filled it with some of finest things Iowa has to offer.

Before becoming a store owner, Witthoft made a living going to vintage shows and selling items but decided she needed a place that would be less taxing on her schedule.

'That was really good, except as my family gets a little older, being gone Monday through Sunday is a lot, so I wanted to do something that I could be here and do the things I still love,” she said.

She said she was inspired by the people she met at the shows and wanted to open a space where makers from across the state could showcase their things and be available to those in other parts of the state.

'I'm kind of passionate about people who are makers just because that's who I was surrounded by,” she said. 'Anymore, we live in a disposable society and it's really neat to be able to support people who are local.”

A variety of items are for sale, including wine from local vineyards, maple syrup from northeast Iowa and even tea towels from someone located in Stuart. When she initially had the space in mind, she only envisioned it being a store but with a vintage flair. However, after realizing the location, which is adjacent to the Kalona General Store, was much larger than she imagined, she decided to bring in another kind of business: a bakery.

Along with her friend Kim Blauvelt, the pair make cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, cookies and artisan breads with hopes to expand their repertoire in the future. Adjacent to the bakery is a large meeting space that Witthoft said will be used for seating and also available for rent for parties or meetings.

The ‘Best of Iowa' has been open for less than a week but Witthoft said the feedback has been positive and she is looking forward to the future of showcasing what she finds is the best Iowa has to offer.

'I'm running off a lot of adrenaline right now, but it's been good and I'm really excited,” she said. 'The community has been really supportive.”

Best of Iowa is located at 111 Fifth Street in Kalona and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.