Today we’d like to introduce you to Antoineka Norman.
Hi Antoineka, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
For as long as I can remember, I have always loved dogs. Thinking back to my childhood, I remember being drawn to animals, specifically dogs. As a child, I grew up in Victoria, TX, and we had horses, pigs, and cats, along with a pack of dogs. My love for dogs has helped me discover my passion for baking for dogs. TheDogBFF Barkerie started in a small apartment kitchen in June 2022. I had no baking experience, but I needed something to help me cope with the anxiety of my complicated pregnancy. I had always been a fan of the Food Network, but I needed more courage to explore my curiosity about baking and cooking. John Truitt IV, partner in TheDogBFF Barkerie and lifelong friend, had already been a part of the dog industry for quite some time with his other dog businesses and would sometimes purchase extravagant cakes and treats for IBA. John would take me to explore different dog-friendly businesses and events around Austin. My attention was always drawn toward the hand-decorated dog treats in the display cases by the cash registers or at the farmer’s markets. I was intrigued by the different types of dog treats that were out there for dogs and their people, ranging from classic dog biscuits and meat-based treats to delicate dog pastries made with dog-safe icing. Before this, I had yet to learn that people made and bought hand-decorated dog-friendly cakes and cookies to celebrate their dogs. This helped me pay more attention to what we were feeding our bulldog, IBA. We noticed that several ingredients were hard to pronounce and that we were unfamiliar with in her store-brought kibble and dog treats, so we decided to do something about it by starting our dog bakery to branch off John’s business, TheDogBFF. I baked her a dog cake for IBA’s birthday that year, and TheDogBFF Barkerie has been baking for business ever since.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We’ve had many obstacles/challenges, but they’ve made us who we are. Being a mom of 2 while working a full-time job and running a small business makes you wish there were more hours in the day. However, I understand that God only gives us what we can handle, so I try to focus on doing my part and let Him do the rest. Learning to bake from scratch without any baking experience required much work inside and outside the kitchen. I wanted to educate myself on dog-friendly human-grade ingredients to ensure we provided delicious yet nutritious dog treats. We must know the nutritional benefits of each dog-friendly human-grade ingredient used at TheDogBFF Barkerie to bake dog treats because we know how much you value your dog’s health.
It’s been a long process learning how to start and run a business effectively to be successful in the future, yet we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our business is more than just a dog bakery; it’s a black-owned family business created to break generational curses for our children Jacen and Juri so they can one day follow their dreams. John and I want our community of dog owners to know that we understand the importance of using high-quality human-grade ingredients to treat their dogs and that we are here to help dog parents celebrate their dog’s special moments—big or small with delicious handmade dog treats.
Lastly, figuring out how to bring awareness to TheDogBFF & TheDogBFF Barkerie brands in ATX has been challenging because I’m from Victoria, TX, and John is from Long Beach, CA. We want ATX dog owners to know we exist, what we offer dogs, and where to find us. We’ve been figuring out how to make our social media presence work for our businesses, and we are excited for the future! The first year was the learning curve. In 2024, we are applying everything we’ve learned to where we see our businesses growing.
We’ve been impressed with TheDogBFF Barkerie, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share about what you do and what sets you apart?
We specialize in dog treats baked with simple human-grade ingredients in our home dog bakery in Austin, TX. We use locally sourced organic human-grade ingredients when possible. We also do not use corn, soy, or preservatives to produce our dog treats. Our dog treats are baked in small batches with ingredients considered safe for dogs’ consumption.
What I am most proud of is that TheDogBFF Barkerie is a black-owned family business, and our goal is to celebrate all your dog’s special moments with our delicious yet nutritious treats for dogs to enjoy! There are other black-owned dog bakeries and businesses in the US. However, they still need to compare to Big Brand dog food companies that people have been feeding their dogs for years and are readily available in pet food retail stores. We hope to inspire little boys and girls who are dog lovers like us to pursue their dog business dreams because if we can do so, they can
What sets us apart is that our treats are baked in our home dog bakery, whereas many store-bought dog foods and treats are produced in factories and warehouses. Each treat baked and decorated at TheDogBFF Barkerie is done by hand in small batches without any preservatives or chemicals that Big Brand dog food companies typically use to make dog food & treats shelf stable. We are currently working on making our treats available for purchase in dog-related businesses. We want to own a brick-and-mortar location so that dogs and their people can have a place to come to Pawty while celebrating their dogs.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people who know about TheDogBFF Barkerie may be surprised that I graduated from UHD with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice in 2020. As a child, I aspired to be a Criminal Defense Attorney, but things changed after having 2 children and moving to Austin. I wanted a career that allowed me to spend as much time raising my children while chasing my dreams. Occasionally, I paint on the side with IBA in Fur_casso, a painting experience that explores the creativity of a dog’s mind. John created Fur_casso, allowing dogs to become the artists of their paintings while their owners are the muse. As a creative person, my happy place is tapping into my imagination and creating something unique no matter what the medium is. I view our hand-decorated dog cookies as mini-works of art because they’re not your average dog biscuits. John and I run #OperationAllPaws, a nonprofit organization that provides Pet Essentials Kits for animals awaiting adoption and fostering in our local animal shelters and rescues. Giving back to cats and dogs in desperate need of permanent loving homes and families is important. We hope to make a difference in the homeless dog populations in California and Texas.
Pricing:
- 6 oz bagged dog treats- $9.99
- Cookies for Dogs Treat box- $24.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thedogbffbarkerie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedogbff_barkerie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedogbffbarkerie
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TheDogBFFBarkerie
Image Credits
Antoineka Norman, John Truitt IV & Jennifer Koop Photography.
