Desserts fit every mood, may it be happiness or sadness. Life wouldn’t be nearly as sweet without your favorite snacks. ‘Sweet Fix’ defines the love for desserts.
Two friends, Kritika Lamsal and Shreya Upadhyaya experimented by freezing some smoothies one summer day to beat the Kathmandu heat. The consistency of the popsicle wasn’t that good in the first try but the two were pleasantly surprised by the overall result.
However, the duo did not immediately start the business. As they were preparing for their GRE examination, their little experiment stayed at the back of their minds and they continued experimenting with different flavors.
“We planned to go on a trip to Europe after our studies and had saved up some funds accordingly”, says Upadhyaya. “But instead we took a leap of faith and decided to invest the money in a physical store”, she says.
They found a small space in Basantapur, one of the most popular places in the valley and instantly knew that it was the right thing to do. “This is when we started buying proper equipment and continued trying new recipes and flavors”, she adds.
After a lot of hard work, planning and loans from friends and family, Sweet Fix was ready to formally launch in the market on August 11th, 2018.
The response from customers was outstanding. “We were all sold out on our first day”, Lamsal says. With time, the product got better, new equipment was added and new outlets opened too.
“We had no idea that one small fun activity we did would be the start of something new”, they say. There are currently 10 different seasonal flavors available.
Sweet Fix is a small business, hence all their products are made in small batches. “We do not use additional coloring, artificial flavoring or unnatural additives”, Lamsal says. “We are planning on adding sugar free popsicles in the near future”, she adds.
Like any other business, Sweet Fix was also affected by the lockdown. The business was getting bulk orders and event orders before the pandemic. However, everything from outlets, events and weekly markets came to halt as the business shut down for the safety of its customers and the team.
“Delivering frozen products is tricky”, shares Upadhyaya. “We need to make sure that our products reach our consumers in the best condition”, she says. The partners are grateful to the regular consumers who give genuine feedback and help their business grow better.
As for the plan for the future of Sweet Fix, Lamsal and Upadhyay hope to tie with more small businesses, get online systems smoother, and provide best quality products. As they have launched small pick-up windows at the beautiful Patan Durbar Square, they are looking forward to opening 2-3 more pick up windows, launching e-commerce sites and having franchises in cities like Chitwan, Pokhara, and among others.
The popsicles are currently available in the stores and restaurants they have partnered with. Online delivery is also available.
READ ALSO: