Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Dupont
Hi Nicole, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Before I opened Morty’s Munchies, I was in the corporate world. I enjoyed it but when my mom passed away in 2017, I knew I wanted to do something different. As I was shopping for treats for my dogs, I started to pay attention to the ingredients. So many of the treats had ingredients I couldn’t even pronounce. Not to mention food coloring, corn, soy, etc. I started researching how to make treats for dogs and so the journey began. I baked in my kitchen and then decided to try my hand at a few craft shows and festivals. Dogs seemed to like my treats so I kept going. Eventually, after having a kitchen and dining room full of treats, In 2019, I decided to look for a space where I could bake. I found a small space in Akron. It was perfect but to afford the rent, I decided to dive into retail. Morty’s Munchies opened in August 2019. I was growing slowly and then Covid hit. Unsure of what would happen, I contacted our state health department and got the.OK to stay open since we sold pet food. Eventually, I moved to Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls and the rest is history.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I first opened, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know how to order things for my store. I had no idea what products to get and running a business was pretty foreign to me. Through lots of guidance from other small business owners, indie pet retail owners, good sales reps and lots of research, I muddled my way through it. My husband and my dad were the best at helping me make sure everything was set up the way I envisioned it, Everything was a learning curve. I’m lucky to have had so much support.
Since then, we went through Covid, had supply chain issues, the bird flu, inflation, 2 elections and bird flu again. I’ve definitely had my fair share of “oh crap” moments and have been at points where I either needed to close or pivot to a new strategy to stay open.
As you know, we’re big fans of Morty’s Munchies Dog Bakery. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Morty’s Munchies Dog Bakery is an independent pet retail store with handmade bakery treats including celebration cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more. We care too if the line toys and treats that are priced to fit every budget. Everything in our store is all natural. We don’t carry any rawhide, only use natural food coloring and source our products from reputable companies. We love our pet community. When you come to Morty’s you’ll be greeted by myself or one of the team members. We will, of course, want to pet your dog if your dog (and you) says it’s ok.
Everyone on staff is knowledgeable about our products and can assist in finding the right treat, toy or food for you dog. Of course our cat friends can also find treats and food at Morty’s too!
I know our customers have a choice to go anywhere for their pets. It sounds cliche but we realize our customers’ business needs to be earned. We want to be a place that customers can trust. That requires education, carefully selecting products and including only the best quality ingredients in everything we make and sell.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
There are so many cool cookbooks out there made specifically for pet treats! One of my favorite podcasts is Tip the Dish. It’s made for indie pet store owners. Favorite books include The Forever Dog and The Forever Dog Life. Both written by Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib. It’s a book I recommend every pet parent read.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mortysmunchies.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mortysmunchies
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mortysmunchies
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mortysmunchies
