Sweet Pete’s – Pure, Simple Sweets, Interview with Allison Behringer (owner) Company Background for Peterbrooke and Sweet Pete’s background_info
Q: Tell me a little bit about your background and how you chose a career in the food industry?
A: It was all sort of happenstance. I had been working in commercial collections and mediating between companies with large sums of money before I made the transition over to this industry. I swore I would never work for Peterbrooke, but as time went on, the family started franchising out stores. I was asked if I would help write the manuals for each franchise and deal with attorney’s, because no one had any time to do this. I agreed to do it on a short term basis, but as people started actually buying franchises, I was really the only one who knew all the laws and ultimately became the franchise director. We didn’t expect to sell the franchises so quickly, so it all just kind of fell on me. From there I became more involved in marketing and branding Peterbrooke. It really was all just a complete accident, that ended up working out great. Working at Peterbrooke opened me up and made me realize some natural skill sets that I didn’t know I had, such as marketing and branding. This ultimately helped us create Sweet Pete’s.
Q: Tell me a little more about Sweet Peteʼs. What is your overall business concept and what makes you different than other candy and ice cream stores?
Play the audio and here about Sweet Pete’s niche products. Sweet Petes Unique Quality
Q: I personally think you guys are ahead of the curve when it comes to the all natural and food intolerance industry. Did you see a lot of potential in the Jacksonville market before opening Sweet Pete’s? Do you see a lot of room to grow?
A: We definitely think we are going to grow. The first year we were open we did better than we expected and this year we’re up 100%. We really wanted to focus on internet sales, more than in store traffic. I think our store is just really cool looking in general and so it entices people to bring in their kids, which has lead to more in store sales than we originally thought. We also have a pretty loyal following of people that have allergies and they help spread the word to others. But again – we definitely think we’re ahead of the curve. We sell a lot of product on Amazon and are working hard to be more of an internet company that offers something unique.
Q: Do you have any competition in the actual city as far as a storefront goes?
A: No there’s not. The closest thing we have is something like Native Sun, which is an all natural grocery store that has a small bakery. They’ve actually been very supportive in our endeavors and have helped guide us in choosing vendors and products. There is really no local competition and really not that many people trying to compete on a national level either.
Q: Do you make all your products at the Jacksonville location?
A: Yes we make everything at our location. This holiday season, we are going to have to rent our some commercial kitchen space to keep up with volume.
Q: What were some of your initial struggles when first opening and what are some of your struggles now?
Click to listen to Allison speak about location and some business obstacles. Sweet Pete’s Challenges
Q: Have you seen a decline sales due to the economy or have you seen a trend in the way people make purchasing decisions?
A: Click to view Allison perception of Value in a tough economy. Sweet Pete’s Economy
Q: What do you do as far as marketing goes? In store and Online strategies.
A: Click to listen to Allison talk about social media and other inexpensive advertising plans. Sweet Petes Social Media
Click to listen to some of the unique marketing partnerships and Sweet Pete’s. Sweet Petes marketing Partnerships
Q: Do all natural ingredients cost considerably more than regular brands and does this effect the way you have to price your products?
A: Most candy should be all natural. A lot of the things we’re doing, just don’t have the preservatives in them. What gets really expensive and is a huge price difference is natural colors and flavors versus artificial colors and flavors. We originally thought we needed to go all organic, but what we discovered is that many people aren’t so much concerned with organic as much as non-gmo and all natural.
Q: What kind of advice would you give someone who is looking to start a small business?
A: I would say you definitely have to love it. Love what you do. In my experience, I would also say to be weary of consultants. I would make sure that you learn every facet of your business even if you grow and become reliant on others, don’t ever go in the dark. I think most business’ can succeed if you work hard and focus on quality. If you aren’t focused on leaving your customers satisfied, than you are setting yourself up for a short term business success.
