Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Verde Valley Mother-Daughter Team Roll Out Bark & Bakery – Flagstaff Business News

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Donuts, dog beer and premium Wisconsin beef are among the natural treats served from this dog and cat food truck.

From beefy burritos to vegan burgers, food trucks in Arizona have continued to gain popularity. The latest sensation on wheels is Bark & Bakery.

Right now, we are the first and only animal food truck in Arizona,” said Beth Fiscus, who runs the business with her daughter, Amanda.

Keeping our best friends, that is our dogs, healthy is vital because, let’s face it, they’re not with us very long so we want them to have the best life ever.”   

With that in mind, the Bark & Bakery mother-daughter team started making tasty, healthy treats for their dogs. Their first product, a pumpkin and peanut butter blend, was a culinary hit with their canines.

When family and friends got their paws on the all-natural biscuits, they reported happy dogs. So, the duo started packaging and selling their products. “We had a pop-up booth and began selling at small markets and craft fairs around Cottonwood, Cornville, Sedona and Camp Verde,” said Beth. 

People started telling us that their dogs would only eat our treats,” added Amanda. “We kept adding products to our line, including a couple of items for cats.”   

Soon, the idea a food truck crossed their minds. After several months, their vision came to fruition. “We had a dream and we made it come true,” said Beth, who loves the color pink and fashioned the food truck with different shades.

Initially, the Fiscus duo began making their dog treats in Wisconsin, where they lived at the time. “It took a couple years for us to develop the recipes before we could launch our products,” said Beth. “Wisconsin had strict regulations, so our treats had to be tested to determine the amount of carbohydrates and proteins.”

We continue to drive back to Wisconsin to buy our grass-fed beef and pork. We’ll buy a whole cow and pig frozen and bring it back. It tastes better and more tender and flavorful,” said Amanda. “We also like to go back to visit our friends and family there.”

The meat from Wisconsin is also less expensive and the dogs just love it. It’s hard to explain unless you taste it,” said Beth.  

Both Beth and Amanda work full-time jobs but have managed to put time into their business, which is doing well. “We’ve doubled our sales from last year and we are booked at sales events until the end of 2026,” said Beth.

Currently, Bark & Bakery products are sold at various stores around the state. “We have products at Timeless Antiques & Treasures in Pine, D.A. Ranch Estate Vineyards in Cornville, Sweet Pea Trading in Camp Verde, and Rickeldoris Candy & Popcorn Co., in Jerome.  

I have a 151-pound Great Pyrenees,” said April Lynn Seymore, a Mesa banker. “I went to Pine for a weekend and found the Bark & Bakery products there. I love the fact that their products are natural and healthy. I typically buy their pumpkin and peanut butter treats, but recently tried their pig snouts. My dog just loves their products. And he’s a picky eater!”

Making deliveries to the Phoenix area once a month keeps their customers happy there. “We do have about four stores wanting to carry our products down south, but I haven’t made that choice yet.”

Colorful donuts made with peanut butter, banana, wheat flour and eggs top the Bark & Bakery menu, along with chicken strips, dehydrated liver, beef and pumpkin treats and smoked bones. They also sell nail-free chicken feet that they say break up the tartar on a dog’s teeth. “Pigs ears and snouts are also good for tartar,” said Beth. Amanda raises chickens and uses fresh chicken eggs for their products.

Two treats for cats are dehydrated salmon and tuna.

Bark & Bakery was also featured in a recent Cottonwood Moonshot pitch event. “They liked us, and I think we came in fourth or fifth. We did make it to the finals,” said Beth.

Eventually, they’d like to open a dog park in Camp Verde. “We just launched our dog beer, which is a timely process using beef broth with pumpkin powder and applesauce,” she said.

Bark & Bakery came to our market last year and they quickly got involved.  They are also helping me plan a dog’s event that we hope to initiate this September. In fact, we didn’t allow dogs at our event until this year and it’s working out great,” said Verde Valley Farmers Market Manager Don Kovacovich.    FBN

By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN

For more about Bark & Bakery products, visit www.barkandbakery.com or their Facebook page.

Photos by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Bark & Bakery owners Amanda and Beth Fiscus drive to Wisconsin to buy grass-fed beef and pork for their recipes.

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