Today we’d like to introduce you to Clarissa Arevalo.
Hi Clarissa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi! I’m Clarissa, an attorney turned cookie maker. I’m the owner and baker behind Honey Bunny Cookie Co.
My love for baking started while young – baking Jiffy Corn Bread with my mom – and evolved over the years as I learned to bake delicious cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and more to share with my family and friends. Baking has always been a hobby of mine, but my husband, Adam, planted the seed of turning my hobby into a business. His support and belief in me (and in how good my cookies are) gave me the confidence to start Honey Bunny Cookie Co.
We launched Honey Bunny Cookie Co. in November 2019. In March 2020, right before the Pandemic hit, we participated in the Made in Maryland Expo. We sold out of 500 cookies within minutes! I knew in that moment that we were onto something. We were so excited to participate in more expos and festivals, but then Covid-19 turned the world upside down. While our grand plans of participating in festivals were halted, we pivoted and Honey Bunny really took off. We started offering decorated sugar cookies and DIY cookie decorating kits in addition to our Signature Cookies. It was really awesome to see how so many people loved our cookies and really supported our small business. Our customers are the best!
While I have always loved to bake, making people happy through my sweet creations brings me the most joy. I created Honey Bunny Cookie Co. so that I can spread joy through my cookies, one bite at a time!
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?
Our journey hasn’t been a smooth road. Juggling my full-time job as an attorney and managing a growing side business was very challenging. I had a hard time setting boundaries with Honey Bunny and often would take on more orders than I should have. I hated telling customers that I couldn’t make cookies for them. This led to lots of late nights, early mornings, and lost weekends. Although, looking back on it, I wouldn’t change a thing. I really love making cookies for our customers. Baking was also a great way to relieve stress from my day job. Seeing how excited customers are when they see the decorated cookies and hearing them rave about how much they love my cookies makes it all worth it!
In 2021, I started a new job at a larger Firm. Work became more demanding, and Honey Bunny took a back seat for a while, but I couldn’t completely stay away from cookies. I continued to take as many orders as I could manage. I began to set boundaries for myself and started to become more comfortable with saying “No” to keep from burning out. Even with my limited capacity to take orders, the demand remained constant – people still kept ordering cookies. This made me realize that Honey Bunny was truly something special.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Honey Bunny Cookie Co. specializes in our delicious Signature Cookies and creative, custom decorated sugar cookies. We take great pride in creating the perfect sweet treat for any occasion.
Currently, we offer five Signature Cookie flavors: Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Walnut, White Chocolate Chip & Peanut Butter Chip, Birthday Fiesta, and Everything but the Turkey. We also offer custom decorated sugar cookies and DIY cookie decorating kits.
I am most proud of how organic our growth has been. What started as a passion project has grown into a legitimate business. We are so lucky to have such supportive and loyal customers. I feel so honored to make cookies for our customers’ special occasions. It has been awesome to make cookies for a bridal shower, then baby shower, first birthday and beyond for so many families. It is so special to see that our customers have embraced Honey Bunny Cookie Co. as part of their family traditions and milestones.
I think what sets us apart from others is that you can truly taste the love that is poured into each one of our cookies. Our mission is Peace. Love. Cookies. and spreading joy one bite at a time. Food brings people together, and I’m so happy to be able to bring joy to so many people through our cookies!
Any big plans?
We recently had a big change! After a lot of thought and reflection, I made the decision to leave my career in law and follow my passion for baking and building Honey Bunny Cookie Co. to reach its fullest potential. This new chapter is all about crafting delicious cookies and creating more space to focus on family.
I’m looking forward to having more availability to accommodate orders, collaborating with other creatives and small businesses, and finally getting back to participating in local expos and festivals.
I’m so excited for this next chapter and I can’t wait to see what’s in store!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://honeybunnycookieco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeybunnycookieco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeybunnycookieco
