Sunrise Trade Co. honors Fathers with doughnuts

Mark DeLap
Posted 6/15/22

Donuts with Dad this Saturday

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Sunrise Trade Co. honors Fathers with doughnuts

Posted

HARTVILLE – “Donuts With Dad” to be a featured event this weekend at the Sunrise Trade Co. in Hartville.

The day before Father’s Day, June 18, Sunrise Trade Co will be hosting an event called Donuts with Dad. They drew inspiration for this event from owner Kevin Gross’ childhood when his elementary school would host “Donuts with Dads” and “Muffins with Moms” every year.

It became a tradition where a parent, guardian, family member, or someone special would join the student in the classroom to enjoy refreshments with them and  their friends. Gross has always cherished those moments with his parents and it has inspired him and his wife and co-owner Kayla Gross to provide that same opportunity for their community.

They look forward to hosting this special bonding experience for fathers, grandfathers, sons, grandsons, all free of charge. They just ask that you RSVP via email or facebook so they can be sure to have enough food and drinks for everyone. (thesunrisetradeco@gmail.com)

“Sunrise Trade Co has been a very exciting adventure since its inception in February of this year,” said Kevin Gross. “The local community has been very engaged and supportive since our formal announcement. Additionally, we've started to draw in the travelers who are in the local area or are heading North or South on Hwy 270 and see our sign...or lose the cellular data that operates their navigation app causing them to take the wrong turn which leads them to us. It's been amazing to meet people from not only around the country, but even around the world; albeit some deliberate and some by happenstance.” 

Starting a business and establishing a store in a very rural area can be a daunting, yet exciting process.

“We considered the fact that our location could be a hindrance to business and knew we would have to market hard and offer goods, services, and experiences that were not readily available in our community to capture their attention and earn their patronage,” he said. “However, we were willing to take that risk to share the beauty of the landscapes, history, and tranquility of the Hartville and Sunrise area, as well as the history of the cabin that Sunrise Trade Co occupies.”

The cabin was first built near Register Cliff State Historic Site in Guernsey. It is one of the original cabins built by C.A. Guernsey when he occupied the area in the late 1800s, and later became the Town of Guernsey in 1902.

The idea of starting Sunrise Trade Co began in 2020 when the old Sunrise Mine Superintendent’s house hit the market.

“Not only was it our dream home, but the potential business opportunities that came with the property were the icing on the cake, so we jumped on the opportunity to make it our forever home to raise our four children and eventually start our own business adventures,” Gross said. “We anticipate that a lot of our business at Sunrise Trade Co will be seasonal in lieu of recreation and tourism, so to aid in the prosperity our business through the offseason of tourism, we obtained approval for a malt beverage license for consumption on-site and package sales, effective on July 1, to go along with our other products and services.”

There will also be opportunities to hold events and parties in the indoor and outdoor spaces and seating areas. The couple drew inspiration for this “crazy dream-come-true” from their desire to serve the community in a different way. 

Kayla is a Guernsey native, born and raised and graduated from Guernsey-Sunrise High School in 2007. She earned her associate degree with Western Nebraska Community College and her bachelor's degree with Chadron State College and works in health care. Kevin was born and raised in Scottsburg, Indiana, and graduated from Scottsburg High School in 2009. He traveled the world with the Air Force for 12 years, and landed in Guernsey in 2014 to stay for good. Kevin earned his associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force and will graduate with his bachelor's degree from University of Arizona Global Campus in the Fall.