Elouise Suoja (left) and Maddie McMahon (right). Photos: Chris Emeott
Two young entrepreneurs are building thriving businesses in their hometown.
Situated on Mahtomedi’s main street, The Wild Bean and 350 Degrees Bakery are bringing fresh warmth and energy to the small-town food scene. Maddie McMahon, owner of The Wild Bean, worked as a barista at the established coffee shop. When the opportunity to buy the business came up in 2022, McMahon, then a senior at Mahtomedi High School (MHS), took the chance; a year later, she bought the building too. In 2024, fellow MHS graduate Elouise Suoja opened 350 Degrees Bakery in the adjoining space, creating a dynamic dining destination for visitors and residents alike.
We caught up with McMahon and Suoja to learn more about their independent journeys as young entrepreneurs.
Boston Crème Pie Croissant
How did you get started in your respective industries?
Maddie McMahon (MM): It happened by chance. I had taken on a lot of the managerial tasks [at The Wild Bean]. The previous owner told us she was looking to sell the shop. That’s when it kind of clicked to me that I could either spend the money I had saved on a coffee shop or invest in college.
Elouise Suoja (ES): I started doing bake sales when I was in middle school and high school, and then I started baking for some small businesses when I was still in high school during [COVID-19]. [When the opportunity to open a brick and mortar arose], I was 21 and not expecting to open a bakery right away. I thought, “That’s really scary. I’m too young. I need to learn a little bit more.” But Maddie had a spot right next door to her, and she reached out through Instagram. It was kind of just a spur-of-the-moment [decision].
Elouise Suoja
Describe the transition to becoming a business owner.
MM: A couple months after I had initially bought the shop, I think I had a realization that not only was I a boss, but I was now a teacher, and I needed to learn better ways of teaching. Once I learned that, I felt weight off my shoulders, and I felt more at peace. [Owning The Wild Bean] changed my perspective on my hometown, and it made me feel more connected in ways I hadn’t before.
ES: Last year, I was [at the bakery] every single day from open to close. Now, I’ve gotten a better grasp on the business side of it. I have a manager now, and I have nine employees that work the cash register and also bake everything in the display case. The bakery gives me freedom to do other things, and I’m always doing something new and different [with] 350 Degrees. We don’t just do custom cakes. We do cake classes and tea parties. It’s many businesses inside one business.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of operating in your hometown?
MM: I was one of those people who thought I was going to go far away for college, but I realized it wasn’t the right path for me … I had made my own little world at the shop, and it made Mahtomedi feel more like home to me. To see other people enjoy the space the same way that I do is what makes me want to keep doing it.
Maddie McMahon
ES: The community. My whole life revolves around making celebration cakes. Every celebration needs a dessert. It’s really rewarding [to be] a part of everyone’s special moment. Gender reveal cakes are my favorite because I get to be in on the secret.
Why is it important to have community spaces like The Wild Bean and 350 Degrees Bakery?
MM: Everybody looks out for each other. Every day, random people are making friends and having conversations. I think that’s really nice and kind of lost in today’s society.
ES: I grew up in Mahtomedi, and it never really had a downtown. Now, there’s a bakery, a coffee shop, a hair salon, a record store and a florist. It’s becoming more of a destination. It’s super fun to be a part of that growth.
A Taste of Mahtomedi
Lavender Miel
The Wild Bean specializes in classic espresso beverages, alongside an array of noncoffee beverage options and food items like burritos and sandwiches. Maddie McMahon’s current favorite menu item is the Lavender Miel, which features espresso with honey and lavender syrup with a dash of cinnamon. Just next door (or via a connected hallway), 350 Degrees Bakery features a decadent display case of cookies, cupcakes, macarons and seven croissant flavors. Elouise Suoja recommends the Boston Crème Pie Croissant.
The Wild Bean
Instagram: @thewildbeancoffeeshop
350 Degrees Bakery
Instagram: @350degrees_bakery
