Karlo Gesner
The best experiences are born of spontaneity. At least, that's how Amy Kreamer, owner of Whisk Cafe in Elizabethtown, has lived her life.
She thought up the idea to buy her first restaurant, a place called Lucky Ducks which she co-owns with her friend, while eating lunch there.
When Kreamer's idea for a breakfast place called Whisk Cafe came along, she connected with a realtor in town and whipped up a 13-page business plan in a matter of days.
For the new drive-through Whisk Express, she happened to drive by the building and see a place for rent. "It took me 24 hours to make a move on that one," says Kreamer.
But if you thought her business endeavors were anything but calculated, just take a peek inside the original Whisk Cafe. This airy, vibrant breakfast and lunch spot in Masonic Village hits every note—and right on cue.
With menu staples ranging from lemon blueberry goat cheese pancakes to lox-loaded eggs benedict, Kreamer successfully built a vision she couldn't shake. She knew she wanted the food to be fresh, local, and creative, but there was something she had to do first.
"The first step, I should say, was coffee," Kreamer notes.
Whisk serves coffee from award-winning roastery Red Rooster. This Virginian roastery has traveled north numerous times to teach Kreamer's staff the best way to prepare and serve their coffee. The cafe even has a house roast called Blonde Bird, made just for Whisk customers.
This attention to detail spans throughout Whisk, and the customers take notice. For one, there's the seasonal, dynamic menu comprised of fresh-as-can-get ingredients. Kreamer brought 30 pounds of Georgia peaches home from vacation earlier this summer, all for cafe specials. She stocks up on local apples in the fall, crafting apple cobbler pancakes and other autumnal delicacies. In fact, she gets many of her ingredients local, like eggs from Sawder's, meats from Groff's Meats, and produce from the neighboring Masonic Village Farm Market. Every corner of the menu is thoughtfully curated.
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Kreamer always has vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options in the rotation. Plus, she stocks a small gift shop on site, where people can relish in local makers and women-owned businesses.
As if it couldn't get any more nuanced, dogs who dine on the patio even get their own special menu, with features like handmade dog treats from a local bark-friendly bakery.
With all these niceties, Kreamer's knack for the restaurant world feels innate. She was trained as a fine dining waitress in the past, and practically grew up in her Uncle's restaurant as a teen. With all this in mind, her second nature makes sense. Talent aside, Kreamer's greatest strength may be her awareness of just how pivotal the community around her is—and how unique it is to be expanding on the place where she grew up.
"I actually felt like I had really big shoes to fill with my parents," Kreamer says. Her dad was a second-generation pharmacist who took over from his father, the first pharmacist in Elizabethtown. Kreamer's dad has had such an impact on her that she named a breakfast scramble, the RBK, after him.
Her mom, whose unexpected death in 2007 prompted Kreamer to move back to her hometown, left a lasting impact on the community where she taught school kids for years. "It just really fills my heart with joy when I hear people talk about my mom," she says.
The greater Elizabethtown community, from the Masonic Village residents to the E-Town College students, has made a home at Whisk. A place to sit, a place to socialize, a place to work by the bright windows—everyone has their own reason for coming to Whisk, but it's Kreamer's creativity and a willingness to be spontaneous (in life and on the plate) that keeps them there. Her well-trained staff's willingness to go the extra mile for anyone who enters doesn't hurt, either.
Kreamer's journey hasn't been free of potholes, but she feels lucky to be serving citrus sunrise mocktails, artisan espresso affogatos, chorizo omelettes, vegetarian black bean burgers, inside-out grilled cheeses, and all the other treats that make Whisk what it is.
Kreamer says, "It makes me realize, you know, that what I'm doing is where I'm supposed to be."
What more can you ask for? At Whisk, another coffee perhaps.
Karlo Gesner
98 Masonic Dr #102
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
