14 Mill Market to add pastry shop next month

Just over a year after opening an eatery at 14 Mill Market that partially focuses on Korean barbecue, Leo Kim has a sweeter venture set to launch next month at the Nixa food hall.

Kim said he’s aiming for a mid-March opening for his new concept, dubbed Keikeu LLC. Korean for cake, Keikeu’s menu will mostly center around coffees, teas and desserts.

At 14 Mill Market, Keikeu will replace Lindsay’s Kitchen LLC, which has scheduled Feb. 22 as its final day of operation at the food hall, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. Owner Lindsay Kirtlan said her bakery will continue as a home-based operation.

Kim, who in January 2024 opened The Gochu LLC, which does business as The Gochu Handcrafted Korean BBQ Bowl at 14 Mill Market, said startup costs for Keikeu will be roughly $70,000. He has signed a one-year lease for an undisclosed rate with Rich and Leah Callahan, who own the 203 E. Mount Vernon St. food hall. The Gochu will remain in business.

Born in Korea and raised in Argentina, Kim said Keikeu is a pastry shop and will help fill an area he feels is underserved in Nixa.

“I’ve always been very passionate about dessert, even though I’m a chef. I’m not a pastry chef, but my first job was at a bakery,” he said.

Keikeu will have a full espresso bar along with boba tea, which will be served with tapioca pearls.

“There’s not many shops here that serve boba tea,” he said, noting the boba will be combined with different flavors. “We’ll have to see which one is going to be the most popular here. But I feel like the strawberry matcha will be very popular.”

Dessert options upon opening will include cakes with flavors such as red velvet, chocolate and caramel pecan, cookies and an Italian dessert called maritozzi, which are brioche buns with cream on the inside and strawberry jam and pistachio among available flavors. Additionally, sweet and savory choices for croissants will be served, which Kim said will be imported from France.

“These are all kinds of trendy types of dessert that are in these days, and we’re trying to bring the best quality to Nixa that we can,” he said, adding he expects to start with a five-person staff.