Mom and son make investments BRL 750 in American sweets and earn BRL 67,000 monthly

When Alexandre Gitti Júnior, 22, asked his mother to make cinnamon rolls (a very popular sweet in the US) for dessert, Rosane Marino, 63, only had a recipe for Hungarian slices, but adapted the delicacy to suit her son’s request. The recipe turned out so good that they decided to turn it into a business in June 2020.

Today, mother and son are partners at Mooca Buns, a store specializing in American sweets, and earn an average of R$ 67,000 a month. In 2021, revenue was BRL 90,000. The profit was not disclosed.

Cinnamon rolls are rolls filled with sugar and cinnamon; Hungarian slices are buns stuffed with coconut.

“The cinnamon rolls I made were so good, I suggested we make them to sell them,” said Alê Gitti, who was unemployed at the time and looking for an internship in his area of ​​public policy management.

According to him, the first action was in the building where he lives, in Mooca, in São Paulo. They spent R$71 to buy the ingredients. After announcing the action on the building’s residents’ WhatsApp group, he and Rosane knocked from door to door, floor by floor, to offer a mini tasting of the sweet (there are 68 apartments). They had their first order the next day. In the first month, the initial investment in the company was R$ 750.

“From the first day of production until today, I write down all expenses daily. I have this financial control of the company”, says Alê Gitti.

Company was formalized to serve Amazon

To promote Mooca Buns, Alê Gitti created an Instagram page and began to send the candy to digital influencers, so that they could help with the promotion.

All the production of the sweets was done in the kitchen of the family’s apartment, and it was Alê Gitti himself who made the deliveries.

The company’s growth was gradual. And Alê celebrates every thing that happens. He has entrepreneurial blood, he is very enthusiastic. If I made a carrot cake, it would sell. What makes all the difference is the will for the business to happen.
Rosane Marino, partner at Mooca Buns

Mooca Buns was only formalized in March 2021, so that, according to Alê Gitti, it could serve Amazon, which ordered the candy for an online event with 150 employees.

First store opened in 2022

In February of this year, the partners opened the first Mooca Buns store, in Mooca itself. They invested R$ 85 thousand in the space.

But who is still in charge of the kitchen is Rosane. She makes the cinnamon rolls dough; and another four pastry chefs make the toppings with 15 different flavors. The price ranges from R$13 (Big Simple) to R$23 (Big Nutella).

One of the highlights is the Big Pecan Caramel (cinnamon filling, homemade caramel topping and pecan nut), weighing 170 grams. It costs R$ 18. The ones that come out the most are the classic (cinnamon filling, cream cheese frosting with vanilla) and the simple one (cinnamon filling, with sugar sprinkled on top). Prices are R$17 and R$13, respectively.

“Our goal now is to open other stores, but first to have a central kitchen to be able to supply these units. We are still thinking about opening a franchise, but it is not our priority at the moment”, says Alê Gitti.

Be careful not to become a “fad”

Juliana Segallio, business and marketing consultant Sebrae-SP, says that the partners were right to taste the cinnamon rolls with the clientele, to test the acceptance of the product, and to have a good positioning of the brand on social networks.

“Before opening the company, it is necessary to see the viability of the business. You don’t start a business just out of need or affinity. You have to be aware that it needs to generate profit. Otherwise, it becomes a ‘hobby with a cost’”, he declares.

Another positive point, she says, is having control over costs, which Alê Gitti says he has been doing since the first day of the deal. “For this, you need to have the product’s technical sheet to know its cost and be able to compose the price. Only with cost control can you make the correct pricing”, she says.

The consultant says, however, that the company must keep an eye on the clientele, to create loyalty and win new customers. “To do so, it is worth paying attention to trends, offering new flavors and novelties to customers, and being aware of market movements, taking care that the business does not become just a fad”, she says.

Where to find:

Mooca Buns – https://moocabuns.com/

Source: Uol