Today we’d like to introduce you to Clarissa Garcia.
Hi Clarissa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Los Dos Manguitos began in 2015. When I was in college and my husband was between jobs. Originally we opened as a small business centered on creating or rather re-creating classic Mexican “antojitos” and desserts. We had huge success and then we had our daughter, I took on a larger course load, we moved and had to slow business down a bit.
While I was finishing up a second degree, we got pregnant with my son and slowly transitioned the business to a more traditional dessert shop and I took the lead role (cake pops, breads, bundt cakes, cakes etc.) I took occasional orders during this time and after graduating and having my son, I found myself craving a more challenging creative outlet. I wanted to be home with my children but also wanted to find a way to channel my creativity and bring in extra income for our family. I decided that I would attempt making decorated cookies. I read every single blog I could find, I reviewed too many recipes to count, I watched hours and hours of decorating videos, and researched common issues related to baking and decorating custom cookies and then, I went for it! In February of 2019 I created my own recipe and announced I would now be offering custom cookies and really set out to grow our social media presence. I had always wanted to learn and always admired the beautiful cookies others made and found myself in love with the whole creative process. This final shift for our business was full of blessings and growth! I have been blessed with orders from the very beginning and love the process of bringing my customers wishes to life!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have certainly been challenges along the way as I have transitioned and grown our business! I bake and decorate in a super small kitchen, this means that organizing, prioritizing, and managing time is always important! I have to be sure I plan ahead accordingly, so I can bake, decorate, package and keep orders moving. Growth for any business always comes with “growing pains” for myself one of the more difficult things was managing time and learning to say “no” to orders. I have a two and a four-year-old so often times this means I am either working very early in the morning or very late into the night. Many people don’t realize how time-consuming creating a set of custom cookies can actually be (I typically work on a set at least 4-6 hours oftentimes more). I have spent the last year prioritizing self-care and rest and implementing changes within my business that allow things to flow more easily and me to not overwork myself. I am constantly evaluating how I manage my time to be the best mother, wife, and person I can be while simultaneously trying to grow and maintain the success of our small business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our business name “Los Dos Manguitos” is spanish for “the two little mangos”. When we initially started our business, we worked primarily with fruits and the name was fitting since we love mangos. As I transitioned my business, I questioned whether the name should change but I found that our logo and name stood out and was easily recognizable. Our little one’s favorite fruit is mangos so we decided to keep the name and have two little mangos on our logo to represent them. We specialize in custom cookies and particularly love including Cultural twists and flavors within our creations. We are primarily known for our “cultura” cookies. These include conchas, pan dulce, Classic Mexican candies, famous Mexican artists, and culture in general. People also seem to love our mini sleeves of cookies. My husband is known in our business for his Mexican candy coated apples and his traditional Mexican antojitos and dessert creations.
I’d say what sets us apart from others is how heavily our culture influences our designs and flavors. Our Mexican Sugar cookie is full of subtle classic Mexican flavors that come together to form a perfectly balanced cookie. I created our recipe based on memories of “cafe con pan or galletas” that my grandparents always enjoyed. I wanted a cookie that you could dip into a cup of milk or a cup of delicious cafe de olla. Another very important thing that sets us apart is our desire to always provide high quality service and a high quality product. I take pride in every single set because I make sure to give each one my absolute best. I am constantly critiquing my own work and looking for ways to learn and improve more.
Brand wise I am most proud of how it does not fit your typical bakery/”cookiery” style. I am enamored by indigenous culture and culture in general (I studied anthropology as one of my majors!) So any chance I get I include it in some way within our branding. Whether it’s by having bold “hey look at me” sarape tablecloths and colorful stickers or a business name that I always get asked how to pronounce and what does it mean. I love that our “brand” makes customers curious and makes them want to ask about it and talk to us! I would love for readers to know that we really value your support! I am beyond grateful for every single order, like, share, comment, review, text, call, card, video, referral etc. that you give us! While I may be the one leading our small business please know that this labor of love truly is a family owned business! My husband usually makes and rolls each ball of dough with precision and care, my 2 little ones stick stickers on the boxes or help me cut ribbon for bows and I design, create, and package every single cookie with love and a grateful heart!
How do you define success?
I would define success as “a place” in life, a place where you feel challenged and fulfilled at the same time. Being pushed daily doing what you love while also maintaining a balance in your personal life or all other aspects of life in general. Success takes hard work each and every day, its hard days and amazing days, but most importantly, it’s waking up with faith and peace. I think that if each day you wake up ready and willing and with a heart full of peace and faith then you are in the right place doing the right thing!
Pricing:
- My dozens start at $42. I have a 1 doz. order minimum requirement
Contact Info:
- Email: losdosmanguitos@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/losdosmanguitos
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/losdosmanguitos/
