Editor’s note: This month’s Business Beacon is a spotlight on Sweet Nonna, a local business offering small batch granola made fresh and with lots of heart. Owner Kimberlee Stone talks to us her small-batch recipe, bees and her mid-life pivot. Find Sweet Nonna on the web and on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram.
Do you have an interesting topic you think we should cover? Leave a comment below!
1. How did you get the idea or concept for your business?
KS: I’ve always loved to create and bake for my family. When I became an empty-nested mom, I realized it was time to turn my love for baking into a business, not sit around and cry because my kids had moved on!
2. Let’s discuss numbers: What year did you open? How many locations do you have? How many people do you employ?
KS: I started Sweet Nonna in the Spring of 2022. I have three people who help me make it all happen … three if you count my husband (the best unpaid employee one could wish for). I don’t have a retail location, but you can find my granola and hot honey in nearly twenty stores locally and in a few other states. (Check for the location nearest you here.)
3. What do you sell or what service do you provide? What’s your best seller?
KS: I make small batch granola in five blends. I also sell local honey from my own beehives, hot honey that I infuse by hand, and I now sell delicious Italian almond Ccookies in four flavors that have become quite popular. Lately, lemon blueberry granola and lemon almond cookies have been my bestsellers.
4. What’s unique about what you do or offer?
KS: Years ago, I became a beekeeper. With so much honey at my disposal, I looked for ways to use it in some of my favorite foods. Since I loved to bake granola, I decided to change up my recipe and use honey as the sweetener. I never dreamed I’d take two different things I love so much and turn them into a business.
5. How would you describe your business to a potential customer?
KS: I make hand-crafted food products in small batches using the highest quality ingredients I can find.
6. What do you love most about your line of work?
KS: I love getting to meet so many customers face-to-face. It’s a bonus just knowing Sweet Nonna granola, honey and cookies continue to make people happy.
7. What sorts of trends are you seeing in your industry?
KS: Ingredients. People care what ingredients are being used. I watch people pick up my granola and look to see what’s in the bag. They love that there’s no added salt or refined sugar in Sweet Nonna granola, that it’s gluten-free, and has ingredients they can pronounce!
8. Tell me in just a sentence or two what you feel sets you apart from your competitors.
KS: The biggest difference, I’d say, is that I purchase, measure, mix and bake every single ingredient in every bag of Sweet Nonna granola.
9. Who or what inspires you? This could be a family member or celebrity, a particular quote or even a book/movie/podcast. The sky’s the limit!
KS: I admire people who find a new rhythm later in life. After becoming empty-nested and wondering what I was to do with myself, I took notes from their journey. I chose a mid-life pivot instead of a mid-life crisis!
10. What’s the best thing about being a part of the Emerald Coast, personally and/or professionally?
KS: People I meet are always in a good mood. What’s not to smile about for those who live here or visit our paradise?! Professionally, I’m extremely grateful for the amazing locally-owned stores that believe enough in Sweet Nonna to put my products on their shelves. They’ve been life-changing for my business, and I wouldn’t be here without them.
11. Are you/your business involved in the community in any way? Volunteering or giving back? If so, how?
KS: As a military mom of a son in the USMC, I like to give back to those who serve, have served, or are first responders. Sweet Nonna raised money for Healing Paws for Warriors in honor of one of my son’s fallen brothers, I took part in Walton County’s Adopt-a-Dispatcher, and as the daughter of a volunteer firefighter, I’ve made it a point to donate baskets of granola and cookies to one of our local stations. I do my best to know the names of the people and organizations I give to.
12. What does a typical day in your business look like? (Pretend it’s Monday (or Friday!) and take me through the highlights of your day.)
KS: I get to the commercial kitchen early in the morning and turn up some good music. That’s a must. Then I prep whichever granola I’m making that day, mix it up in the Hobart mixer, then pat out 36 pans of granola to go in to the large ovens. Once my helpers arrive and after the granola is baked to a perfect crunch, we let it cool and then break it into perfect big chunks that we then bag and heat seal. At the end of a long day, we sweep, mop and make sure the kitchen is spotless. And, do it all over again sometimes two to three times a week! We have more fun than should be allowed. We truly love what we get to do.
13. What’s your best “insider tip?” (This could be a community tip for vacationers or homeowners or even a tip for customers related to your business.)
KS: For vacationers, I’d say get to the beach as often as possible and make sure you take in a sunset or two. Slow down. Then pop into Modica Market, The Salty Butcher, CK Feed & Supply/Cafe or Fonville Press to pick up a bag of my granola. It’s the perfect beach snack!
14. How do you recharge or relax when the day is done?
KS: It’s hard to beat sitting by the pool at the end of the day.
15. Just the deets, please! Where are you located? Business hours? Social media profiles and/or website links we need to know about? (Please feel free to add social media handles or direct links!)
KS: Sweet Nonna is online 24/7 at sweetnonna.com or you can find me on Saturdays at The Farmer’s Market at Grand Boulevard Town Center in Sandestin and on Sundays at the 30A Farmer’s Market at Rosemary Beach, both from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can follow me @sweetnonnaco on Instagram and Facebook.
16. One final question: If there was just one thing you wish the public knew about your business, what would it be?
KS: As a local business, the challenge is always, “How do I get my product into more people’s hands?” I wish more of the public knew who Sweet Nonna was. But it’s one baby step at a time!