Sweets N’ Such has been run by locals Jon and Karen Stern since 1996. Originally from the Twin Cities area, Jon and Karen frequently visited Emily to spend time with Jon’s parents at their lakeside cabin, hunt in the fall, and fish and swim in the beautiful lakes with their 3 children. Jon worked very long hours in a packaging mill while Karen worked in the mill’s administrative department, so it wasn’t difficult to envision an “Up North” lifestyle for themselves, to be their own bosses, and to become part of the town they loved so much.

During one trip, Jon saw the old Sweets N’ Such business was for sale and realized their Up North Dream could become a reality. After a lot of discussion and introspection, Jon and Karen decided to take a chance and moved their family of five up north.

The rest, as they say, is history.  Jon and Karen have continued a tradition for both locals and visitors to shop for gifts and clothing, have delicious ice cream, and best of all, help families create lasting memories of their own.

Jon and Karen have a new vision for themselves–a well-deserved retirement filled with grandkids and travel! They’re excited to pass the Sweets N’ Such tradition in the coming years onto their youngest son, Jared, daughter-in-law, Jeenah, and daughter, Jessica. They too are looking forward to carrying on the Emilyan tradition of facilitating the memories so many carry with them of this little shop.

Why Kemp’s Ice Cream?

A question has come up frequently from our customers: With literally hundreds of different ice creams and companies, why have we stuck with Kemp’s?
The overall quality and consistency of Kemp’s has never wavered. We’ve tried different brands over the years, but they didn’t keep well once the tubs were opened, and frankly, didn’t sell well with our customers as they often preferred Kemp’s flavors. Even adhering to proper temperature and food regulations, the other ice cream brands would form ice crystals, produce a grainy texture, would become too hard, or be too soft. With Kemp’s, we get the same product every time–a perfect, creamy texture that never freezes!
Kemp’s has also been a farmer-owned company since 2011, and we’re all about supporting small businesses and ventures!