Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Friedman.
Hi Kelly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Nito’s Nibbles began with Benito. During the height of covid, when the illness was spreading rapidly and the hope of returning back to normal life felt very far away, I was lonely and wanted a companion. My sister had recently adopted two dogs, and it made me realize I could do the same. Ironically, around the same time I realized I wanted a dog of my own, I saw an ad for discounted dog adoptions at an animal shelter in San Marcos and it felt like a sign to take the leap. The next day, my sister and I went together to check out the dogs they had. I was looking for a puppy but the shelter didn’t have any onsite, as they were all in foster care. However, fate had other plans because as my sister and I were looking at and playing with the other dogs, a foster volunteer visited the shelter to deliver a litter of puppies she was caring for. We didn’t know this had happened, but as we were walking back inside the building after playing with the dogs for a bit, we saw one small puppy in a fenced in area, slowly but surely moving around the grassed in area. We immediately stopped to admire how cute this dog was. It was really love at first sight, as after picking up the dog and playing with him briefly, it was all the confirmation I needed that this dog was for me. The employee began to tell us that this litter was recently dropped off and were all let out to go to the bathroom, then fed and given water. All the other puppies were content in their crate, but this one dog was whining and crying so she let him out again to see if he needed to go to the bathroom. This was at the same moment we walked by the fenced in area – it felt meant to be as I realized if we walked by a few minutes before or after, we may have never encountered this sweet baby. It was at that moment that I was fully convinced and decided I would be adopting this dog. I filled out the paperwork and took him home a little later that day. At this point he didn’t have a name yet. It took me almost a month to land on the name Benito, but I’m glad I waited because the name suits him perfectly, even to this day.
However, a few weeks after adopting Benito, he fell ill and ended up spending three nights in the emergency vet. He had contracted leptospirosis and as a result developed slight kidney damage. At this point he was only three months old. I had to make big changes pretty quickly to maintain his health after his kidney diagnosis, including changing his diet to vet prescribed food. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find kidney friendly dog treats at the store and I was hesitant to buy him anything that could harm his kidneys further. Growing up I always had an interest in baking, so I decided I would try to bake him treats so that he could still indulge. Over time, this developed into a business, as I realized that I found an outlet to explore my creativity, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit.
This business began three years ago in September of 2023. Benito was the inspiration behind starting my business. The logo is an animated version of his face, and the business colors even reflect the colors of his fur and his signature red collar. If you look closely at the collar on the logo, you’ll see that Benito’s name is on the dog tag. Also, I named my business Nito’s Nibbles for two reasons, the first being that when Benito feels happy and full of love, he nibbles on blankets and pillows. The second of course is because nibbles is another word for eating something, and I thought it was fitting since I make dog treats.
Nito’s Nibbles was created out of love; a love for baking and a love for Benito, and I like to use my business to spread love to others. I never would have guessed that making such a spontaneous decision to adopt a dog during covid would develop into me creating a business that aligns so closely with my passions.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Anything worth having takes time and effort, and Nito’s Nibbles isn’t the exception. I went to college for Business Administration specializing in marketing, product development, and economics, but my years of studying didn’t prepare me for entrepreneurship. I always like to say that I learned how to run a Fortune 500 company, but not how to start one. Every step of starting my business took ample time researching, planning, and hoping that I was going about it the right way. I spent the first year and a half conceptualizing, creating, and developing my business. It was challenging but nonetheless it was a challenge I was up for and excited to face. I received my first order after this initial year and a half and it was so fun seeing my ideas become a reality. Nowadays, I’m happy to say that I receive orders more consistently and I have a good system going that works for me.
I would say that another challenge I faced was doing vendor markets. The first two vendor markets I did, I planned and prepared for weeks leading up to it. That being said, because I make all my dog treats fresh, I had to bake them no more than a couple days before the event. I did everything on my own, including planning the menu, baking and packaging the treats, creating digital prints for my table display, among many other things. I admittedly stayed up for a full 48 hours, minus maybe four hours of sleep spread over the two days. I did my first two markets on no sleep, but you wouldn’t have known if you were there. The adrenaline kept me up and the excitement of seeing all my hard work displayed for others to enjoy made everything worth it. Thankfully, over the years I’ve done many other markets and I now get a full nights sleep before I attend. I created another system including checklists, taking inventory, and keeping my materials needed for markets organized and labeled; I also have more help now and it makes all the difference.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Nito’s Nibbles?
Nito’s Nibbles is a specialty dog bakery servicing Austin, TX and the surrounding areas. We create gourmet treats, all-natural recipes free of chemicals and artificial dyes, and dietary restriction friendly options such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and more. From cakes and cupcakes, to cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, carob treats, ice cream with toppings, drinks, and more! We have a variety of standard style treats and designs we make, or our customers can reach out with their own custom requests. If you’re in need of a birthday, adoption day, gotcha day, gender reveal, “just because,” themed holiday treats, and so much more, we can make it. We also offer a catering service as well as an ice cream cart rental service for dog parties, markets, and events.
What sets us apart from others is attention to detail. Nito’s Nibbles isn’t just a dog bakery, it’s an experience. We pride ourselves on making dog treats that look so good, we’ve had countless customers mistake them for desserts for people (but they’re not!). We also love the challenge of creating new dog treats that haven’t been done before. Our treats are also packaged with luxury in mind, and for our individual custom orders, we include a special card and gift bag with each order for our furry friends and family to enjoy. It’s a token of our appreciation for allowing us to celebrate their special day with them.
What also sets us apart is catering to each dog and their unique diets and allergies. I’ve learned from experience that it can be hard to find treats for dogs that have dietary restrictions, so I pride myself on being able to adapt my recipes when needed so that all dogs can enjoy a treat every now and then.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Nito’s Nibbles is a black woman-owned business.
Keep us in mind if your dogs special day is coming up, or for any dog-friendly events.
Every treat is made with care using high-quality, all-natural ingredients.
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Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nitosnibbles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nitosnibbles
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Nitos-Nibbles/61553462620749/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nitosnibbles
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