As soon as Deborah Tuggle starts talking about her business, Bite Me! Cookies, a glowing smile lights up her face. For over 26 years now, she has been leading Bite Me! Cookies – a wholesale cookie manufacturer in Lakewood, Washington.
Deborah, who also created Metropolitan Market’s infamous and widely beloved ‘The Cookie,’ first began selling cookies during college. Every Friday, she would bring in her freshly baked cookies to class, hoping to financially support herself and her son. The cookies’ popularity inspired her to continue selling them while juggling a full-time job as a single mother. Eventually, she opened a shop in Tacoma, which evolved into a thriving wholesale bakery tucked away in Lakewood.The wholesale bakery now produces Bite Me! Cookies’ signature cookies as well as private label bakery items sold throughout the nation.
Inside Bite Me!’s factory, which holds the SQF Level 2 certification, you’re immediately greeted by the irresistible aroma of freshly baked cookies, mingling with the cheerful chatter of employees as they carefully craft each delicious cookie variation. Today, Bite Me! Cookies employs 21 people and bakes over 14,000 to 17,000 cookies an hour, all made with locally sourced, natural ingredients.
The NWMMSDC had the honor of visiting the factory to hear Deborah’s inspiring story and witness the magic behind Bite Me! Cookies. Read here about the challenges Deborah has faced, what makes Bite Me! Cookies special, and her advice for fellow minority business owners:
Bite Me! Cookies and I’m the president of the company.
We manufacture cookies, so we are wholesome manufacturer here in Lakewood, Washington, and we service the United States grocery stores
I saw two girls on television. They owned the
Bite me! brand. I called them and I said: “Hey, I’d like to do what you’re doing”. And one of the things they said to me was so profound and was very powerful. They said: “We are going to help you not make the mistakes we made in business,” and that sat with me. It was just so deep, I thought.I partnered with them and became fast friends, and then in 2004 in ended acquiring their business and buying it out, so basically everything is under
Bite Me! Cookies
Oh, it’s been tough. I started this business with no business background nor any baking background. I was a woman that had a dream and so I thought: “I wonder if I could make a living baking cookies?” That was 26 years ago. Today we manufacture between 14 and 17,000 cookies an hour as well we co-pack for other companies.
Being a black woman in business has not always been easy for me and I thought having a product that was good would bring the business, but I did learn that sometimes being a minority is not what everyone wants to see. I learned that the hard way.
I kept pushing and I can’t let anyone stop me because at the end of the day, if I stop it’s because I stop, not because someone doesn’t like the way I look or doesn’t care for my product. So, I keep pushing and I’m still pushing today every day.
they’re all clean and natural, so anything that you see with a frosting color on it is all plant-based, so everything we produce here is clean and natural.
Oh, in many ways. They’ve been a great organization over the years. They connect us with other partners. They connect us with other businesses. Over the last 10, 15 years that I’ve been a member, it’s been very positive.
Website: https://bitemeinc.cc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitemeinc/
To inquire about wholesale orders:
206-286-7519
Thank you, Deborah, for sharing your and BiteMe! Cookies’ inspirational story with us!
About the NWMMSDC
The Northwest Mountain MSDC, an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering minority-owned businesses by certifying, developing, and connecting Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) with major corporations and public agencies.
Since 1978, the Council has been a driving force for advancing supplier programs and creating opportunities that enable minority-owned businesses to thrive. Serving the Pacific Northwest Mountain region – encompassing Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming – the NWMMSDC is committed to fostering meaningful business partnerships and driving economic growth.
For more information about the NWMMSDC and its programs, visit www.nwmmsdc.org.
To learn more about how certifying your minority-owned business can benefit you, click here.
If you would like to certify your minority-owned business as well, click here.