​Author: Lauren Colarusso, BSU student

​Behind the counter in a small 350 square foot pocket at the end of a small strip of businesses in Hingham, from 5am – 1pm you can find Alicia Harkness behind the counter at the Coffee Corner. In 2011, while not finding much fulfillment in her job at the time, Alicia took the “for sale” sign in the window of a local coffee shop as a literal sign to change the trajectory of her career, and focus, instead on something that she felt driven to do. No stranger to the food service industry she felt confident as she took the reins from the previous owners. Although she had previous experience in the food service industry, the transition to business owner did not come without its learning curves. Alicia learned how to inventory and order accordingly, as well as bookkeeping and all the paperwork that goes along with owning a business. She did find that the previous owners were correct in all their predictions about the flow of business. Because of this, her transition went pretty smoothly, and she has been able to adjust for busier times with more help when needed to ensure positive customer experiences no matter the season. She learned the nuances of business ownership. Alicia never let these challenges dissuade her, but instead reminded herself “I can do this”, and nearly a decade later Coffee Corner remains one of Hingham’s gems. 

​When you walk in you are not bombarded by a thousand options and forced to spit your order out as fast as you can while the barista is already onto the next person. Instead, it’s like coming home. There are a few options of brewed coffee flavors, as well as options for creamers and sweeteners. Alicia and her small staff know the regulars by name, and they make your cup of Joe right in front of you, to your specifications. Coffee Corner offers a selection of bagels, muffins, donuts and breakfast sandwiches to pair with your coffee. Next to the counter is a small half wall, and when people are generous it is covered with post-it’s that cover the cost of a coffee. It is all these things that make Coffee Corner so inviting.
 
2020 has not been without its struggles for Coffee Corner. Luckily, Alicia and staff have been able to remain open. Luckily there has only been one small change aside from wearing masks (as you’ll see when you go in, Coffee Corner is very clean and the staff, even prior to Covid-19, is always wiping down surfaces.) Coffee Corner previously had a couple of chairs available for customers to sit and enjoy their coffees, but due to Covid-19 and the need for sanitizing surfaces, the chairs are no longer available. However, there is no lack of charm, from the quote-of-the-day to the lack of Facebook advertisements in lieu of word-of-mouth-from-your-neighbor publicity. When asked where she would like her business to be in 6 months she relied “as it is”. There are no plans to launch a social media campaign, because by keeping her customer base growing via word-of-mouth it makes the atmosphere neighborly, comfortable, and personable. 

 Visit Coffee Corner at:  55 Water Street in Hingham, MA.
 
You can contact them via:

​Phone: 781-749-0887
​Facebook: Coffee Corner Coffee Shop

​Author: Vanessa Puopolo, BSU student

​In the town of Hanover, Massachusetts, there is only one bakery - Giuseppe’s Cakes Etc., a small family owned bakery on the South Shore. Joseph and Christine Perella are the owners of Giuseppe’s Cakes Etc. for seventeen years now. Joseph, a retired maintenance manager for a Boston housing project, bought the business in the spur of the moment. Joseph’s stepdaughter had a job at the local bakery with the previous owners of the shop. When the previous owners decided to sell, Joseph and Christine decided to take a chance by taking over the business and gave it its own family style.
 
Giuseppe’s Cakes specializes in custom made cakes, cupcakes and pastries for all special occasions. They also have a tremendous assortment of Italian pastries which include cannolis and tiramisu. They use a homemade recipe for their amazing buttercream frosting.  Any idea you have for a cake I am positive that Joseph and Christine can successfully produce it for you. They have many photos of their most decorative cakes on their website.
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​As any business owner would say, great customer service is always a key factor in any successful business.  Providing great customer service not only attracts customers but maintains their loyalty. It’s Joseph’s customers that motivate him to come to work every day. Joseph describes his business as a “Ma and Pop business”. In other words, the business is typically running by family members who treat their customers as part of their family. When you come into Giuseppe’s Cakes you will find Joseph behind the counter with his friendly smile and contagious giggle. You will also find his charming wife Christine, being the one to take your order and answer any questions that you might have. Sometimes you can even find their grandchildren helping out by putting boxes together.

​When I had the pleasure interviewing Joseph, I asked What was the toughest thing he went through when opening? Joseph said that getting recognized was probably the hardest thing to accomplish when first opening up business. Joseph relied on his reputation and his customers to intrigue new business opportunities. In the long run this worked out in Joseph and Christine’s favor because they have maintained a profitable business in a difficult industry.
 
Many businesses have suffered hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic, but for Giuseppe’s Cakes, they have been working right through with little to no setbacks from their usual routine. They have implemented changes to their social distancing and the amount of people that are allowed in their business. The staff has been working diligently to make sure they are all safe and protected from the virus.
 
If you are ever in the Hanover area, make sure to stop by Giuseppe’s Cakes and try out their mouthwatering cupcakes with their famous homemade frosting. I promise you that you will not be disappointed and why you are there.

Visit Giuseppe’s Cakes, Etc. at 409 Columbia Rd #900 in Hanover, MA.
 
Contact them via:
 
Phone number: 781-826-0155
Email: giuseppescakesetc@comcast.net
Website: www.giuseppescakes.com
Facebook: Giuseppe’s Cakes, Etc.

​Author: Quinn DeMelo, BSU student

​Barnacle Bills Seafood located in East Wareham Massachusetts is a family owned restaurant ran by a hard-working duo Husband and Wife. Jennifer and Andrew Mattos, the owners of the restaurant have been in the food industry for many years. They decided to open up their own business on February 13, 2013 and since then been growing every year.  The strategy of opening up Barnacle Bills was to target traffic coming from Cape Cod, and tourist visiting beaches around the area. Seafood is what they specialize in, so it was a perfect opportunity for them to start their own business together in this area. Andy is a hardworking man, who has known the seafood industry is whole life. His family owned a seafood restaurant for over 40 years, he grew up working there and learned everything from his family. His dream was to open up his own one day and continue the family tradition.                                           
 
Starting the business wasn’t easy at all. It took numerous months and dedication to get the business off its feet. The hardworking duo they were able to work through the tough times and together made the restaurant to what it is now. In an interview, I asked Jennifer what was the toughest thing about first opening up the business. She told me commitment was the toughest and still is. Every day that the restaurant is open one of them is there making sure the business is running smoothly. Jennifer and Andrew stay inspired by making their customers happy. Serving customers a good meal and providing a good experience is rewarding for them. 

My visit started with the option of dining in the dining room, where a bar is available to sit at to eat of just enjoy a cocktail or a beer from local brewers, or comfortable tables with a large screen TV to enjoy a sports game while you dine. I also had the option to sit outside on the patio that has a walk-up window to order food to go as well. I choose to sit outside to enjoy the good weather and the view. The owner Andy made me samples of their clam chowder, and fried captain’s platter which was huge! It included fish, scallops, shrimp, whole belly and French fries with amazing Cole slaw on the side. I had a sample of the golden chicken tenders and some fresh shrimp cocktail. The food was beyond delicious.  The clam chowder had one of the best I have tried yet. Barnacle Bills menu offers many different choices from fried or broiled seafood to nice juicy burgers and fries. The prices will not break the bank for the whole family to enjoy a meal out, this small family owned friendly restaurant will not disappoint. The owners welcomed me with open arms during their busy day to sit down and do this interview and help me understand all the hard work and dedication that goes into starting and keeping a successful business running. Thank you for your hospitality, amazing food, and friendly welcoming. I’ll be back. 

Visit Barnacle Bill’s Seafood at: 3126 Cranberry Highway in East Wareham, MA.
​
Contact them via:
Phone: 508-743-5095
Facebook: @Barnaclebillsseafood

​Author: Matthew Landino, BSU student

Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with and speaking with Brianna Bamford, the co-owner of Brianna’s Breakfast located on 100 Spring Street, here in Bridgewater MA. 20 years ago, Brianna’s mother opened up the doors of Brianna’s Breakfast, a small breakfast restaurant with “mom and pop” charm.  Growing up, Brianna helped her single mother run the business and make a name for the restaurant. Roughly 5 years ago, when Brianna returned home from college, she took over the business from her mother and has been running it since. She is extraordinarily passionate about creating a positive environment for both her customers and employees.

The restaurant opened its doors on September 12, 2000.  Brianna’s mother had always loved to cook, not just necessarily breakfast foods.  The hours of operation that a breakfast restaurant provided allowed her to work “mother’s hours.”  This means that she was able to operate and run the business every morning while still leaving time during the day to be a good mother to her daughter. She fell in love with the freedom of running a business while still having time to spend with her family.

One of the toughest things that was encountered when getting the business off the ground was the actual building that was being leased was transferred over.  The previous tenant had left the building in shambles, leaving an unforeseen mess to be cleaned up. All the stresses of opening a restaurant for the first time came along with the raising of a 5-year-old.
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Looking back, Brianna had mentioned that the main thing she would have done differently would have been to sooner find and establish the line between being a boss and a friend to her employees.  Like the case in many small businesses, several of the staff had been there for years and were very close with the owners. A very close-knit staff is often a good characteristic to have in a business, but often times, kindness can be taken for granted. A balance needs to be found when working with people you consider to be your family. 

Not surprisingly, one of the toughest challenges of 2020 has been Coronavirus.  People have high expectations of how a restaurant should be operated and trying to maintain that environment while simultaneously attempting to remain profitable has been difficult. Table turnover is a huge consideration in the restaurant business and with a restricted number of guests and tables. Not turning the tables over fast enough can be devastating to profits, as overhead expenses remain the same.

What makes Brianna’s Breakfast stand out among competitors, according to Brianna, is the superior quality of food.  Having the best food around, as well as maintaining competitive pricing and implementing price matching, also makes the restaurant stand out.  The famous steak marinade secret recipe is also something that keeps regulars coming back. Overall, the customer service, fantastic food, and “mom and pop” charm is what keeps customers coming back and attracts new business.  Enhancing the customer experience is another way that Brianna’s Breakfast stands out.  People are excited to get back out again, after everything that has been happening this year.  Making sure that those people feel as normal and comfortable as possible in a restaurant setting is a major goal for the Brianna.

The current number one way that Brianna attracts new customers is the presence on Social Media.  Running a page on both Instagram and Facebook and interacting with potential new customers on review pages makes their presence known and acts as a way of spreading positive information about Brianna’s Breakfast.
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Looking ahead a year into the future, Brianna would like to see the business in a place it was a year ago.  Optimistically, what Brianna would like to see is the restaurant at full capacity once again with her employees and customers able to be comfortable in a fully functional and operational dining room where everyone is healthy and does not have to wear a mask out, an ideal situation few would deny longing for. 

Visit Brianna’s Breakfast at 100 Spring Street in Bridgewater, MA.
 
You can contact them via:
Phone: 508-279-6502
Facebook: @BriannasBreakfast2000
Instagram: @BriannasBreakfast

​Author: Ryan Bell, BSU student

​​The Cape Cod Stuffed Quahog Company was founded in 2003 by Brian Robinson. Cape Cod Stuffed Quahogs cooks, prepares, and delivers a plethora of common seafood favorites throughout the South Shore including but not limited to: Stuffed quahogs (both premium and original flavor), Stuffed scallops with shrimp, Seafood risotto, lobster bisque, and clam chowder.
 
In 2003, Mr. Robinson was working for a restaurant in Boston, when he decided to start the business. In an interview with Brian, he mentioned that he originally broke ties with his previous place of employment in order to spend more time with his children. Shortly before the companies founding, Brian was spending most of his time at work, leaving at 5AM before anyone in his house woke up and returning lat at night when everyone had gone to bed. Though he was able to provide for his family he felt as if he was losing precious family time and decided to act. Shortly after, he rented an office/ production facility close to home and patented both the company name and recipes that are used to this day.
 
When asked what he may have done in hindsight, Brian stated that he wished he had more contingency plans set in place in order to mitigate any losses. He admits that there were more external forces causing the company issues than he initial anticipated. At the time of the company’s creation the biggest stress was caused by the financial fallout of the September 11th attacks. Though Brian understood the risks that were associated with the loss in tourism, he admits that he was caught off guard by the lasting effects. In addition, he noted there was a red tide the following year which severely damaged his supply chain. This caused him to look elsewhere for the majority of his ingredients. He was able to keep the company afloat by procuring his ingredients from Connecticut and other local states, a practice that he has continues to this day. 

Brian attributes the company’s success during this time to his ability act quickly in procuring his resources and reducing any redundancies. When asked about his marketing strategies Brian admits that it is mostly by word of mouth. Both he and his wife keep up with local events, reach out to new restaurants, and go grocery stores in order to supply them with samples. He noted that this has been fairly successful and has found that he is able to pick up new clients easily by having a physical presence.
 
Though he relies on more conventional marketing tactics, the company has a digital presence as well. There is a Facebook page that is updated regularly with new partnerships and promotions. Brian admits he does not track any of the pages analytics, but has noticed an increase in foot traffic to their main facility since its implementation.
 
In reflection on the year so far, Brian mentioned that he actually saw an increase in business. Though it was slow when the lockdown began, demand for his products shot up around May, a demand that has continued to grow throughout the season. He has been growing the company at a steady 5% each year and expects to close out this year with a 6-7% increase in profit. In addition to the increased business, Cape Cod Stuffed Quahog Company has been nominated for an award by Yankee magazine, which was introduced to his product through a customer in Boston. Brian hopes that this nomination will only increase the value of his brand and provide the business with more marketing opportunities. 

Cape Cod Stuffed Quahog Company is located at:
18 Beach Street in Bourne (Monument Beach), MA.
 
You can contact them via:
Phone: 508-759-5820
Website: www.ccsq.com
Facebook: Cape Cod Stuffed Quahog Company

​Author: Kelsey Alarcon-Aguilar, BSU student 

​From a small town in Mexico, Maria Elena Delgadillo and her husband Miguel Ramos worked together to give Brockton a taste of Mexico. With their authentic Mexican inspired dishes like crispy chimichangas, tacos, enchiladas, and much more! They have a large variety of authentic drinks like horchata and their exhilarating margaritas.  Elena and Miguel own several other Locations of Casa Vallarta in Massachusetts, but the Brockton location stands out for their friendly staff, amazing chef with original recipes, and stunning bartender. They also offer fresh guacamole to be made at the table.
 
On December 15, 2017 the grand opening in Brockton happened a couple minutes away from the Westgate Mall. While interviewing Elena about her reasoning behind opening up her business she said “I chose to open up this location to expand my restaurant's business and the reason I opened up any restaurants to begin was because I love food. I love cooking and I like to help people by creating jobs!”.As she was able to have her good friends and family working there, it made the restaurant experience better as she had a lot of support and people to count on. Elena and her husband Miguel have two kids, Anayelli and Miguel. The Delgadillo/Ramos Family lives in Connecticut and travel a little over two hours, and three when caught in traffic, to the business in Brockton, which can sometimes be a challenge for Miguel and Elena. Elena said the restaurant business has gotten in the way of her “mom duties” as she was at times unable to attend school events as she worked long hours, was caught up with inspection, or something went wrong.
 
Luckily, the location on Oak Street was already a restaurant before so they didn’t start from the bottom. At this location, the restaurant things were in place giving Elena and her husband an advantage. They had previous experience since they already had opened a couple restaurants before, but they had to make sure they would be successful. Elena said when her kids were old enough to understand what was going on, she immediately was able to bring them to work and introduce them to the business. She said “I would never change a thing, I would do it the same way over and over again”. 

​The technology aspect of things runs smoothly. Elena and her husband invest in numerous ads and nowadays everyone googles for places to eat, which gets a lot of customers in the restaurant. Elena mentioned about how GrubHub and DoorDash were a big hit for her restaurant with the constant take-outs. Being the 21st Century and everyone relying on the internet, Elena says, “it helps my business a lot and we get more customers in, since everyone is on their phones and posting pictures helping get more people in”. Elena’s kids are also always on their phones she said and that helps a lot as they attract a younger crowd.
 
Some obstacles she has been caught in were: during coronavirus when they had to shut down for a little bit, but once they were up and running for takeout she still had all her supporters which helped to maintain the restaurant open and she is grateful for that. Elena and her husband live in fear the pandemic will get worse again before it gets better and restaurant business will have to shut down. 

​Visit Casa Vallarta at 610 Oak Street in Brockton, MA.
 
You can contact them via:
Phone: 508-857-0401
Website: casavallarta.us
Facebook: @casavallartabrockton

​Author: Emily McNeil, BSU Student

Entitled Beer Company, located on North Street in downtown Hingham, has been making strides in quality and consistency despite losing around 50% of its business due to Covid-19 shut-downs and restrictions. Owner Brian Barry grew up in Braintree, Massachusetts and started working in restaurants as a teenager. Developing a passion for beer, Brian decided to start his Company, Entitled Brewing Company, accidentally in 2014. “I was always passionate about beer and homebrewing and made a recipe for a restaurant I work at that was only sold there. People loved the beer so much I decided to build a company around it.” Combine a love of good beer and the desire to work for himself, Entitled Brewing Company was born.
 
Starting a business from scratch was no cakewalk for Brian. “The toughest thing was probably learning to mass produce a product while keeping the beer fresh.” Beer must be kept around 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit for storage, which became difficult in the New England summer’s heat. He says, “The reaction of the customers that loved my beer inspired me to keep going.” With persistence and support from family, friends, and fans, Brian succeeded to create the beer so many local customers loved, and now has a product line of 6 different Beers; the Entitled IPA, New England IPA, Betterment, Wit and Wisdom, Artie’s Strong Arm, and Therapy Session. He says when starting a business on your own that “I would have trusted my gut more and not let others influence my decisions. The most difficult challenge was creating brand awareness and growing at a manageable pace.” 

With the development of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not a surprise that many local companies such as Entitled faced many challenges. With the loss of jobs and closure of various restaurant, Brian lost about 50% of his customer base. Bars and restaurants closing were a huge problem for Entitled, as customers could not get drinks or draft beers. Brian decided to change his methods for sales and began offering his beer in take-out in restaurant like Caffe Tosca, in Hingham. With restrictions further lifting, when asked about the future of his business in 6 months to a year Brian says “I would like to see it back to where it was prior to Covid-19. I try to keep my goals reasonable in order to grow at a comfortable pace.” When asked further about future growth, and whether stepping-back and being more of a passive owner or further increasing his involvement in the company, he says a hybrid of the two would be best. “I would love to increase sales while also allowing other to manage the day to day for a fresh perspective. I feel that by stepping back and allowing others to manage the daily grind, it would allow me to see my business through another lens.”
 
However, the future looks bright for Entitled, which is a lot to say after so many businesses closed/failed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Entitled Brewing Company relies mainly on word-of-mouth to bring in new customers, but with the development of a new website and increased social media presence, he hopes to change that. “What makes us stand out is the consistency of the liquid, which is always fresh and always delicious, as well as the value of the beer on the retail market. I have always classified my beers as dangerously drinkable. The reason they should choose Entitled is because you will not get a better product at the value ours is sold for. I wanted to price my beers at a price point that the average income can enjoy, while still maintaining the highest quality.

You can visit Entitled Brewing at 21 North Street in Hingham, MA.
 
You can contact them via:
Phone: 781-740-1035
Facebook: @entitledbrewing
Website:  entitledbrewing.com  

​Author: Jeffrey Robinson, BSU student

​Confectionately Yours Bakery owner, Kristen McKenna, makes some of the best customized cakes you have ever seen, along with many other items. Her mouth-watering cupcakes made from a family recipe for traditional buttercream frosting, and she also makes fresh muffins, cookies, and a variety of other baked goods.  I had the pleasure of interviewing Kristen about her bakery in Quincy earlier this week and I was amazed by her talent.  If you don’t believe me, just take a look for yourself!
 
Kristen started cake decorating as a hobby when she was in college to make money on the side and really loved it. Her father, Danny, started noticing how amazing she was at it and after some conversations they both decided to give it a go and open their bakery together over 7 years ago in 2013.  Being born and raised in Quincy, it was an easy decision for them to open up shop in town.  Today, Confectionately Yours Bakery is one of the few customized cake bakeries around and truly is a father/daughter owned local business.

​Customer service is key in this line of service, and you may be surprised to know it’s Kristen answering the phone when you call.  Her dedication and care for the customer truly sets Confectionately Yours apart from other bakeries.  There is almost no decoration she can’t tackle, and she will work with you on perfecting the design.  Most people start by looking at her gallery of work and come up with an idea of what they would like from there.  Kristen is very enthusiastic about her work and will make sure the final product exceeds your expectations.  In the beginning when they first opened, they tried using some marketing tools but over the years have realized that their work speaks for itself.  Word of mouth is the best marking tool and they are able to simply use social media to get more business.
 
With Covid-19 bringing almost everything to a halt, Kristen and her father had to come up with a new game plan.  Most weddings and other big events, like birthdays, were unfortunately cancelled in the early stages, but Kristen is looking at this with an optimistic view and with the glass half full.  Now that our economy is slowly starting to open back up, more people are coming back to get customized cakes for their loved ones.  Cupcakes are growing in popularity and a great option for some people as you can hand them out easier while following social distancing guidelines.  She is also seeing an increase in smaller, more intricate cakes since gatherings most likely involve smaller crowds.
 
Words can’t describe how amazing these customized cakes come out.  Don’t just take my word for it, Confectionately Yours has been the winner of the Readers Choice Awards for the last 7 years since 2014, Best Desserts by Restaurant Guru in 2019, Best of Surveys in 2019 and the Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite Award in 2019.  To leave you with a little fun fact, Kristen has also made customized cakes for the Seattle Seahawks and Mark Wahlburg!  

Visit Confectionately Yours Bakery at 764 Hancock Street in Quincy, MA.
 
Contact them via:
​
Phone Number: 617-328-6333
Email: confectionatelyyoursbakery@gmail.com
Website: www.confectionatelyyoursbakery.com
Instagram:  @confectionatelyyoursbakery 
Facebook:  @confectionatelyyoursbakery

​Author: Amy Guinen, BSU student

Top Notch Nutrition, located at 2307 State Rd, Plymouth MA, is serving up the tastiest protein shakes and mega teas you will ever have. Delicious and nutritious are key components to the family run shake business.

Lindsey Ward, owner and coach at Top Notch Nutrition, has been a resident of Plymouth her entire life. In high school, Lindsey found a love for health and fitness after her mother decided to transform her life and become healthier. She learned how to take care of her body and wanted to help others achieve their goals. It became a passion. Lindsey knew that she wanted to give people a quick healthy option and with that passion, Top Notch Nutrition was created.

Before starting Top Notch Nutrition, Lindsey and her mother had clients around town that they would help in their healthy journey. One of their biggest obstacles when starting to get the business together was the idea of not knowing how. Owning and operating a business was something new to them and not knowing what they needed to get it up and running was difficult. They also needed to learn about the financial aspect, as well as marketing to new clients. In the interview, Lindsey stated that her clients and many people around town were giving them support and encouragement to get the business going. People were depending on the business to open, and she knew that they couldn’t give up. The support of the clients and community inspired Lindsey and her mother while getting the business off the ground. On April 28th, 2017 Top Notch Nutrition was officially opened.
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Lindsey stated that if she was able to go back to day one and change anything, she wouldn’t. She stated that everything they went through was how she learned to run her business and what got them to where they are now, three years later. 

There is always changing factors when owning a business and new problems to overcome. This year proved no different for Lindsey. In March of 2020 Lindsey became full owner of Top Notch Nutrition after she bought the remaining business from her mother. This was the same day that Governor Baker announced that the state of Massachusetts was going into quarantine. Not only did Lindsey need to navigate the differences in being the sole owner, she needed to navigate the changes and rules set forth due to the current pandemic. Lindsey also already had plans to start a renovation of the club they were in. While all this was happening at once, she said a “calm panic” had taken over. Since the pandemic and navigating through the new regulations, they were able to stay open the whole time by offering curbside pickup and text ahead ordering.

Technology offers a big part in the growth of business. Lindsey stated that technology is one of the biggest ways they are bringing new clients. They are primarily found on Facebook. There you can find their up-to-date hours, as well as specials they are having and any info about giveaways. They also use Instagram to show off their delicious and healthy shake options as well as conduct polls of the products they offer.
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While talking to Lindsey you could tell her sense of pride for her business and her love of her customers. Lindsey stated that she values every single one of her customers. She wants her customers to be the number one priority. She also stated that her goal isn’t just to sell her products but to be able to provide something nutritious for her customers and to instill some positivity into each of their days. Lindsey and her employees always make a priority to make sure her customers know they are appreciated. Whether they are telling each and every one of them to have an amazing day or doing multiple customer appreciation days, they just want their customers to feel valued. 

Visit Top Notch Nutrition at 2307 State Rd, in Plymouth MA.
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Contact them via:
Phone: (774) 338-5598
Email: healthylindseyward@gmail.com
Facebook: @topnotchnutrition
Instagram: @top.notch.nutrition

​Author: Jacqueline Nee, BSU student

​2020 has been a tumultuous year for so many businesses, yet Ellie’s Treats has found a niche market in delivering smiles in the form of ice cream sundaes and treats to families all over the South Shore. When food truck festivals, fireworks and booked events started getting cancelled, Dan and Katie Keefe, who own Ellie’s Treats, knew that they needed to change their approach to market to be successful in the 2020 season.
 
Ellie’s Treats is owned and operated by husband and wife duo Dan and Katie. Dan is the primary owner and had operated ice cream trucks for over 10 years. Dan has also worked in the food industry most of his career and that is where they met. While working in a restaurant and over time decided to try something on their own. They saved and bought a truck to start their unique desert food truck business which they named after their daughter Ellie. They started Ellie’s Treats in 2018 and they serve up custom sundaes and treats wherever the road brings them. Dan is the ice cream scooper and food truck maintainer, while Katie’s the social media queen. This is a great partnership which has helped them to build a successful company and grow during a time that has challenged many local businesses. Most years they travel to food truck rodeos, fireworks and other local events. They sell delicious hand-made ice cream sundaes, ice cream novelties treats and slushes right out of their colorfully painted Ellie’s Treats truck.  

So I wondered, what do they consider the secret to their success and recent boom in business? Faced with Covid 19 and the social distancing guidelines, they started a new approach with home sundae kit deliveries. In the midst of the pandemic when people were not leaving their homes much, the Ellie’s treats team masked up, gloved up and delivered the goodies directly to customer around the South Shore. Kids got to wait in the window and watch for the ice cream truck to come right to them! It became a local phenomenon and most of the spread was due to their use of Facebook. Social media has been their primary mode of contact with potential customers and booking customers.  Katie said that her very first post about delivery of sundae kits currently has over 50,000 likes. Their Facebook page went from several hundred likes to over 5,000 likes. Information regarding delivery days and options was transmitted via Facebook and according to Katie, they “went viral”. When people were really stuck at home and looking for something to do, Ellie’s Treats was able to deliver. Now that businesses are starting to bring employees back in to the office, Ellie’s is offering some services there as well. They have been able to deliver to businesses for corporate events, such as employee appreciation days, while maintaining proper social distancing procedures.
 
Their hope is that for the near future, business will maintain as it has been for the last few months. So many local businesses on the South Shore are facing uncertainty and the small businesses have been hit the hardest. Ellie’s Treats have been able to embrace technology and social media in conjunction with creative business strategies to be able to thrive in a challenging market. Like most business they hope that the trend continues for them. The largest uncertainty for Ellie’s Treats right now is wondering what will happen next year and whether the current pandemic will influence new changes for next year. There are still some towns that are restricting the sale of food from food trucks and if other towns were to develop new regulations, it could affect business. Dan and Katie admitted that the last several months has been a huge learning curve for them as a business as they continue to respond to demand and the current market. I believe their proven ability to adapt and work with a situation will help them to be successful despite whatever the coming year brings. 

Ellie’s Treats is based in Weymouth, MA.

Contact them via:
Phone: 781-534-9895
Email: ELLIESTREATSWEYMOUTH@GMAIL.COM
Website: https://www.elliestreats.com/
Facebook: @ElliesTreatsWeymouth