WILLARD, Mo. – Willard’s Hive of the Ozarks has been awarded $20,000 as part of Intuit QuickBooks and Mailchimp’s nationwide Small Business Hero Day contest.

Intuit, the company that makes Quickbooks, TurboTax, Mint, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp, said they awarded money to three small businesses that were nominated because they were inspiring and showcased a service to their communities.

“We’ve had an exciting 24 hours,” says Melissa Skaggs owner of Hive of the Ozarks. She says she was contacted by Quickbooks yesterday about winning the prize. She says she has no idea who nominated Hive of the Ozarks. “It was a complete surprise.”

Skaggs said she plans to have a board meeting to see where the money should go. She thinks the money could go to upgrades, new items on the menu and possibly buying new equipment, like a new freeze dryer.

Skaggs said that syndicated newsmagazine program, Inside Edition, came into Willard to do interviews with her as well.

The two other winners were Tree House- Craft Coffee & Frozen Yogurt in Houston, Texas, and Ray’s Millpond Cafe from Georgia.

Hive of the Ozarks is a non-profit eatery in Willard that offers people with disabilities an opportunity to learn job skills. The cafe serves coffee, smoothies, soup, and sandwiches.