After more than 15 years in the chocolate-making business, Mona Newbauer doesn’t want to sugarcoat it.
It’s time for her to move on, which means selling the downtown Langley business that bears her name: Sweet Mona’s.
Newbauer announced Oct. 1 that the chocolate, espresso and gelato cafe is on the market with an asking price of $125,000.
The sweets shop opened in 2006, a few days after Valentine’s Day. Over the years, as Newbauer worked to build the business from the ground up, she counted many successes such as partnering with Seattle Chocolates and owning the building that Sweet Mona’s is currently located in.
“We’ve built a strong foundation, and now it’s time for someone else to grow it,” she said.
Newbauer was one of the first graduates of an online chocolate-making program that is still hosted today by Ecole Chocolat, a school in Vancouver, B.C. Since then, she’s been all over the country — and the world — getting hands-on experience by attending classes in Chicago and traveling to Ecuador to visit cacao plantations and factories.
“I’ve done a lot to learn about my trade,” she said.
Although creating, organizing and managing have been her strengths, she feels that her weakness lies in marketing the business. She sees that skill as being vital for the future of the business.
“I have no one to leave the business to,” she said. “I have children, but they’re not interested in it. I want to see it go beyond me, and I’m not getting any younger.”
In the future, Newbauer has dreams of finishing her college degree and taking a much-deserved break from the shop, which is currently open every day of the week and stayed that way throughout the pandemic.
“I look forward to having the freedom to go on vacation and not having to think about the shop,” she said.
The $125,000 price tag of Sweet Mona’s includes all equipment, recipes, and operations information and consists of all websites, social media, and other related assets and accounts. It does not include inventory costs.
Inquiries about the sale can be made by emailing Newbauer at mona@sweetmonas.com or by calling her cell, 206-714-9318.
And any interested parties might want to act fast, since there may already be a potential buyer in the mix.
Mona Newbauer holds a tray of chocolates. (Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record)
