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Shonna Richardson prepares cookies for an order .
the average family ’ s cost of ingredients .
“ I ’ m not buying oil by the 55-gallon drum like big factories , so you ’ re really paying me to make it fresh , make it customized ,” Shonna said . One of the biggest questions she gets is “ Where is your menu ?” “ We ’ re not a franchise ,” Shonna said . “ We can adapt . The franchises are buying their stuff frozen in a box – they do not have control over the basic ingredients . We do , and I love that about us . I don ’ t want to change .”
But Shonna is determined that she and her team will make sure each order is good every time . The franchises have that going for them . It ’ s always going to be the same .
Later , as we stopped outside for a moment , Shonna and Bill talk about their passion for the best ingredients .
“ I don ’ t want to play the Walmart game of using cheaper ingredients ,” Shonna said . “ We ’ re willing to make it from scratch and make it better . And we either make it that way , or we ’ re not going to make it anymore . That ’ s our heart . And that ’ s our passion .” Bill nods . “ Interpreted for me , we ’ re going to make it that way where it makes it financially viable for us ,” Bill said . “ You ’ ll never find our products – at least in Shonna and I ’ s mind – where you look at the ingredients ( and ) can ’ t pronounce 50 % of the ingredients .” Shonna agrees . “ Eggs are eggs , milk is milk ,” Shonna said . “ And it ’ s gonna be fresh . We ’ re not going to put in preservatives .”
Finding her passion
Shonna has always loved baking . Even as a child , she got involved in
4-H contests baking cookies and pies .
“ It started with my grandma ’ s measuring cup ,” she said . “ And then my mom used to take us to pick blackberries and sand plums , and we made our own jams and jellies .”
In her generation , most people made
PASSION FOR THE BEST INGREDIENTS : “ I don ’ t want to play the Walmart game of using cheaper ingredients ,” Shonna said . “ We ’ re willing to make it from scratch and make it better . And we either make it that way , or we ’ re not going to make it anymore . That ’ s our heart . And that ’ s our passion .”
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