SIDNEY -- Savor and Grace will be celebrating its one-year anniversary Monday, March 11 at its new location in downtown Sidney.

The celebration is scheduled to start at 11 a.m., with a "cheese cake," a cake made of cheese.

The concept started as a conversation between friends. A light snack with a variety of meats and cheeses and the conversation moving to job prospects. 

Jill Sauder grew up south of Sidney on a farm in Colorado. She said she couldn't wait to get away and see the world beyond Logan County, Colo. She lived in Denver for 11 years before returning to northeast Colorado where she worked from home as a business coach. 

"I had clients all over the United States that would fly myself and my son out to come out and do consulting with their team. I did that for about seven years, and then COVID hit. I had some pretty life-changing situations happen at that time and so. I'm a chronic optimist, so I knew I needed to take some time and sit ... and just be for a little bit. I needed to just be, and not constantly on the go," Sauder said.

She said she knew she was ready for a life-change.

"I knew that I was feeling ready for a life-change. I just kind of had this feeling that something bigger was coming," she said.

She spent a few months trying to figure out her next step in life while homeschooling her son. She said she kept encountering obstacles in her next step.

"Things just weren't working out. I was really frustrated. My friend came down from Denver to visit for the weekend. We were literally sharing a bottle of wine and a cheese board, which is something that I've just done for a very long time, just creating cheese boards for our family to sit and gather around it. We're creating new flavors, and just exploring the flavors of the food we're setting out for us. We were literally sitting there with a bottle of wine and a cheese board and just the two of us and she's like 'Do this!' I said 'no, you're crazy.' She's like 'I'm serious. People will love it,'" Sauder said.

From there, she sought a commercial kitchen in Sidney; not an easy task, she said. She saw Sue Hiett's bakery. She asked to rent the kitchen even for a short time, hours at a time maybe. By coincidence she had just talked about seeking someone to share the space. Sauder said since then she has been walking through the doors that have been opened for her. About nine months later, she had the opportunity for the Sam & Louie's building.

She credits E3 (Energizing, Entrepreneurial, Ecosystems) for the progress she has made.

"We are so lucky to have the group E3 here in town. I've been working very closely with that group that actually found me a grant through Grow Nebraska that has funded the majority of this expansion," she said. 

She said the diligence of E3, their help and diligence, that is leading to success. 

Savor and Grace offers a variety of meats and cheeses from all over the world. The concept is based on venues she would enjoy. 

Hours are Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday through Tuesday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.