TEKAMAH, Neb. (KMTV) — A small, Northeastern Nebraska town has become a popular destination for hundreds in the metro all because of one sweet treat that's suddenly getting a lot of attention.
It happened right when the store needed it most. 3 News Now anchor Serese Cole takes us to the Master's Hand where they are serving up the world's best sweet roll.
Nestled inside the tiny town of Tekamah, Nebraska is a charming store with a delicious claim to fame.
"We call it every woman's dream shop," said Master's Hand owner, Susie Robison.
Susie Robison opened Master's Hand 13 years ago as a candle store.
Over the years she added a flower and gift shop — but nothing compares to Robison's final addition.
"Definitely our most popular item is our cinnamon roll," Robison said.
The recipe is her mom's.
"My mom would often make cinnamon rolls and I'd hear the same thing. It was always, 'Kathy — these are the world's best cinnamon rolls' and I grew up with that," she recalled.
Her mother died when Robison was 25, but she was determined to learn how to make those rolls.
'I made batch after batch after batch of cinnamon rolls and it's like not yet," Robison remembered. "Two years later I remember exactly where I was. I opened up the oven doors and I looked in and I was like — those look like my mom's — and so it was very exciting. Then I started hearing the same thing — 'oh Susie, these are the world's best cinnamon rolls'."
Business was good until the pandemic.
"March was tough, April, May, June — and about July we had a couple from this group called Omaha Food Lovers," Robison said.
"They went back and they wrote a little diddy about us and I was not prepared for what was going to happen because the next weekend like 10 couples came and they had cinnamon rolls, and the next weekend, 40 couples and it has just snowballed." she smiled.
Robison also took matters into her own hands.
"I ordered 100 signs that said 'We Did It' and I ordered 100 signs that said 'World's Best Cinnamon Rolls' and I ordered 100 signs that said 'Master's Hand'," Robison said. "In the middle of the night, a friend of mine and I got in our van with those 300 signs and we drove all the way on 75 to Decatur and every three miles we put up a sign, then we went to Oakland," she shared.
Soon after that, the website WorldsBestCinnamonRolls.com named their 2020 winner.
It was Master's Hand in Tekamah, Nebraska.
"World's Best Cinnamon Rolls, we did it," she exclaimed. "My mom would be so proud."
Word traveled fast.
"People all around states and states away are hearing about the world's best cinnamon rolls," Robison said.
Robison also serves up homemade chocolate, caramel popcorn, fudge and more.
"We have a caramel pecan bread budding that's made out of cinnamon rolls. Oh my heavenly days, it's naughty, but a good kind of naughty," she laughed.
The future is bright for the tasty Tekamah store originally designed for women but now enjoyed by all.
"We've become every man's dream shop, too," said Robison.
You can find Master's Hand on 3599 County Road F in Tekamah.
On Saturdays, the store sells about 1,000 cinnamon rolls. You can call ahead to reserve yours. If they're all out, you can still enjoy Robison's homemade chocolates, caramel popcorn, fudge and more.
This weekend, Master's Hand is holding its annual Summerfest.
There will be food trucks, games, live entertainment and of course the world-famous cinnamon rolls.
For more details visit this website.
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