Downtown Voices: Celebrating Our Local Business Owners with a new Video Interview Series!

Episode 1 – Santee Sweets & Eats with owner Heather Santee

Our newest (and already beloved!) downtown bakery and cafe

We’re excited to launch a brand-new video series called Downtown Voices, in which we interview the small business owners who make downtown Ravenswood such a special place. Each episode will highlight one of our locally owned businesses, giving you a chance to hear directly from the people behind the storefronts.

Our very first interview features Heather Santee, owner of Santee Sweets, a bakery and café that opened just about a year ago at the corner of Washington and Walnut Street. Heather shares the story of how Santee Sweets came to be, what inspires her menu, our community's favorite pastry, and why she chose to build her dream right here in downtown Ravenswood.

The Downtown Voices series is filmed and produced by Shane Johnson, who has been providing video production work for the City of Ravenswood and Downtown Ravenswood Partners for over a year. We’re so grateful for his creative eye in helping us tell these stories.

This is just the beginning—we hope to continue the series and eventually feature every one of our downtown business owners. Each has a unique journey and a valuable perspective on what it means to run a small business in our community.

👉 Watch the first episode featuring Heather Santee here!

Stay tuned for more conversations with the people who bring heart, flavor, and character to downtown Ravenswood!