Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Trinidad.
Hi Ashley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Coco’s Sweet Treats was born off of an impulse purchase of a cotton candy machine. We were in the midst of the pandemic, I was getting stir crazy and saw something on TikTok about cotton candy. I ended up purchasing a machine that very day and it arrived in about a week. Once I started using the machine, I knew it had the potential to be so much more than just a hobby. I started practicing and creating my own flavors to spin out, excitedly bringing them to my co-workers, family, and friends to test out. Through the holiday season, I sold containers to my local community for stocking stuffers, birthday parties, and more.
As the spring of 2021 approached – I realized how much I missed Events. My entire career, I was involved in planning and executing events and I missed that aspect of my life. Shortly after this realization, Coco’s Sweet Treats started attending local events every weekend and wholesaling our cotton candy to a Le Petit Sweets in Mount Dora, Florida! Now we do events every weekend, sell pre-packaged/do deliveries – and are able to donate a % back of every sale to local rescues – in honor of our amazing rescue – Coco!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Everything about 2020 and 2021 has been rough like most everyone knows. Once we believe things are going back to “normal,” we end up needing to pivot again as something else arises. Between social distancing, safety measures, supply chain issues, and more – We’ve just been working on going with the flow and taking it one step at a time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Around our town – I’m known as the “Cotton Candy Lady.”
Every event, every cone – I aspire to bring smiles to each and every person. Have you ever seen someone upset while eating cotton candy? We haven’t!
Our company specializes in “gourmet” flavors. I develop all of my own recipes and creations so that they are one-of-a-kind and will only be able to be found at Coco’s Sweet Treats!
I’m most proud of the community we’ve built. With every event, our community grows. We’ve received messages from parents who have said that sitting and enjoying our treat with their kids led them to learning more about their children than they know! We’ve also had several pay it forward chains – which always warms my heart. Most importantly, Coco’s Sweet Treats has allowed us to be able to give back to the community that I grew up in by donating our time and services to local fundraisers and giving a % of all of our sales back to the local rescues in the area (including the one that Coco was adopted from).
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love Central Florida in general. I love the diversity of each and every one of our towns and how you don’t have to drive far to find something new. From Winter Park to Lake Eola to Mount Dora – you can find something for everyone.
Contact Info:
- Email: Cocossweettreats@outlook.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cocossweettreatsfl/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/cocossweettreatsfl/
Image Credits:
Amalie Orrange from Branded Boss Lady
