About us

Below you will find our life story...but what we really want you to know is this...we love bringing smiles and joy via what we like to call, a little "retail therapy".  We love our little downtown and we love bringing families back together in the kitchen! Simple as that! 

Our Story goes like this:

Bekah Kate's opened on May 7th, 2004, and is owned and managed by Rebekah and Mark Stelling. With the help of family and friends, they have lovingly restored a historic 1886 building at 117 3rd Street in Downtown Baraboo, just off of the square.  Bekah named her store in honor of the nickname only her mother used for her...Bekah Kate.  

Bekah started her dream of owning a kitchen store not long after she earned a degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in Botany and Conservation Biology.  She found work at Douglas China in Madison as a buyer for over 3 years.  Bekah learned to appreciate good food and wonderful cooking from her Mother Gretchen and her beloved Grandma Annette.  Bekah's love of the kitchen inspired her to open a store specializing in quality goods for the Kitchen and Home.

Mark earned a degree from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater in Finance and is currently working for Trek Bicycles in Waterloo, WI, that is, when he is not at home with the boys being the world's best father! 

The couple resides in Baraboo with sons Luke, George, and Will. And don't forget the menagerie of rescue animals... two cats, two dogs, a bunny and a horse! Bekah has a hard time walking into the Humane Society without walking out with a new family member!


Bekah Kate's Philosophy:
As owners, my husband Mark and I, chose to locate not only our business, but our family, in Downtown Baraboo because of our love for the historic Downtown community. As a part of our business philosophy, we strive to enrich our community in any way we can.  
 Bekah Kate's actively participates in our Downtown  Baraboo organizations such as DBI and BID.  In these organizations, we are involved on many committees...I have a hard time saying No when someone asks for help!  Because of this, I also serve on the Library board and am the current chair and a founding member of the Baraboo Public Arts Association and the Friends of Baraboo Parks.  I am very proud to help bring great diverse art to the downtown and enhance our area parks! We are helping to plan; marketing and image advertising for the downtown area, run the Downtown Baraboo Wine Walk since the beginning, and through our BID, enhance the overall appearance of the downtown. I have also served as a board member on the Devil's Lake Concessions board for many years, because this sacred place for many cultures, holds a special place in my heart and is important to our community and local environment.  

Because of our love for all things old, we have done many improvements to our own building both inside and out to preserve its historical integrity. Consequently, we are proud to say we are a contributing building in the newly established Downtown Baraboo Historic District.
We support and donate to many local organizations that strengthen our community such as:  school groups, senior citizen centers, the hospital and hospice centers, the historical society, humane society and the food pantry.

Thanks for learning a little more about us!