Treat Bake Shop
207 E. Buffalo St., Suite 212
Neighborhood: Historic Third Ward
Founded: 2011
Owner: Sarah Marx Feldner
Employees: 3
Service: Makes and distributes spiced nuts
Where are Treat products sold?
“We try to be wherever great cheese is. Specialty grocers like Sendik’s. In general, a lot of people think spiced nuts for the holidays, but (cheese pairing) is a good way to round it out year-round.”
I understand you’re now in Crate & Barrel stores. How did that come about?
“I had sent them samples…earlier this year and we just had been talking back and forth and then all of a sudden they were like, ‘We’re emailing you an order.’ It’s going to all of them. All 92 (stores).”
Why did you start Treat?
“I always wanted to own my own business. This was a friend’s recipe and she taught me how to make them and the classic (tale), you give them as a gift and people were like, ‘Oh, you’ve got to sell these.’ For the first three years, I did it all by myself. We moved here in October 2015 and I hired my first employee.”
What is the biggest challenge your business faces?
“Labor. I don’t know if there’s tons of new restaurants so the labor pool is getting smaller? I’m not sure.”
How many types of nuts do you offer?
“We have five flavors now. We sell them in jars, bags and gift tins. We have something like 30 SKUs with all the variations. Jars are the best seller, but bags were a lower price point and great for gift baskets. For the holidays, we do a lot of gift baskets.”
How many do you sell per year?
“Tens of thousands. We’re good holiday gifts. You can order online and we ship anywhere in the country.”
