Baked to perfection: Chococoa Baking Company’s sweet community touch
Chococoa Baking Company is a bakery and café based in Newburyport, MA. Below, owners Alan and Julie share some reflections on their business and the importance of supporting local.
Describe your business:
Chococoa Baking Company is an award-winning artisanal bakery, home to The Whoopie, a twist on the classic whoopie pie. Owners husband-and-wife Alan Mons and Julie Ganong, also operate a full-service café with fresh baked goods and an espresso bar. Chococoa is open daily.
What makes your business unique?
The Whoopie recipe was created in our very own kitchen. Each whoopie is between 130-160 calories, includes no trans fats, 2″ in diameter (the right size), and made with all-natural ingredients. Made of triple chocolate cake with buttercream filling, including salted caramel, espresso, raspberry, coconut, and others. We also have seasonal offerings – pumpkin/ginger, lemon, gingerbread, apple cider cinnamon, just to name a few! A gluten-free Whoopie is available in a variety of flavors. In 2013 and October 2020, we were named Yankee Magazine’s number one whoopie pie!
What does your business look like?
Our products are sold in store and through our online shop offering nationwide shipping with flat rate fees. We most recently introduced curbside pick, home delivery, and set up outdoor tables for customers to enjoy.
Why is it important to support businesses like yours?
We are committed to being strong corporate citizens by giving back to our community through donations for fundraising, participating in local events, serving on local boards, and displaying local artist exhibits in our cafe at no commission to them. Along with helping our community, we work at being user-friendly to our customers!
Do you want to say anything to your customers?
We are so grateful for the support you have given us every single day! From ordering The Whoopies online and sending them to friends and relatives, to buying gift certificates, stopping by to say hello and cheer us on, bringing flowers, donations to keep us going, and extra tips for the staff, you’ve helped in so many ways.
How has your business changed or adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic?
As tough as COVID-19 has been for everyone – there are many silver linings and bright spots each day. While circumstances are uncertain, it has been the most humbling experience of our lives because customers continue to come and support us. We created a Masked Whoopie to show support for our healthcare workers and as a fun reminder to wear your mask! A percentage of each sale went to our local Anna Jaques Hospital – we collected over $1,000 in less than three months to support their Healthcare Heroes Fund. We streamlined our website and hours, added a Happy Birthday Collection, and introduced DIY Whoopie Decorating Kits. And of course, we trained staff, reduced seating, added partitions at the counter and behind our booths, installed an air filtration system, and enforced masks and cleaning protocols. We could not have done this without our fantastic staff, who took this seriously and were judicious every shift.