Life & Work with Monique Bundy of Mesa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Bundy.

Hi Monique, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my business with my significant other, John Belak, in February 2016. We had initially created our business to bring it to the medical industry. We also have two Great Dane brothers who inspired the name. Hence, our funky name! Two things in our life that have helped us heal and have brought us even closer together. So we thought Scooby Snacks = Doobie Snaxx, and it just stuck. We started with just 4 simple flavors that, funny enough, were all decorated the same way. We have grown tremendously over the past 7 years. We have created nearly 90 different flavored cake pops. (we like to call them truffles). When we quickly learned that the medical industry was no longer going to be achievable due to the cost of licensing ($25k a month), we decided to move forward outside of that industry. We now sell weekly at the Gilbert Farmers Market for friends and family—as well as the occasional festive markets that pop up. Our business is exceptional! I love it with every fiber of my being and hope to take it as far as God grants us.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Struggles this year as a public business have been mainly the elements. We started at the Gilbert farmers market in July and battled record-breaking heat. We like to have our truffles out for display. When it was hottest, we had to get creative with our setup. We started dipping our truffles in epoxy resin. It’s used to make jewelry, but it gave our truffles a nice hard exterior that helped protect them from completely melting. They barely survived, but our customers were still so understanding. Our only other struggle has been tirelessly explaining that you can’t sell infused items to the public without working under a dispensary license. I always tell people we have a “funky name, fierce flavor, and family-friendly.”

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our 88 different flavor of cake pop/truffles certainly makes us stand out. We like to focus more on flavor. I have seen beautifully sculpted cake pops, but fancy aesthetics differ from my tea. I want to enjoy a snack for its taste, texture, and nostalgia! Secondly, our truffles are baked into their shape. We don’t mix in icing and roll them. They keep a fluffy, light texture inside and contain much less sugar. Thirdly, we also offer Truffle boxes. Inspired by a box of chocolates, each box includes 12 flavors with a flavor chart for a guide. They have been a huge hit this season. I’m proud of every aspect of our business. Truffles take an immense amount of labor. There are very few shortcuts, and it takes a lot of patience.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those just starting.
Be patient. Don’t compare yourself or your business to anyone else. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be scared to start. Every day is another chance to make your business even better.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @DoobieSnaxx_