I’m Melea, the owner of A Little Sugar & Butter. I’m also a wife and mom of 10, so life is always busy! I’ve always been crafty and loved teaching myself new things, especially things that take a little extra patience and practice to get right.
Macarons started out as one of those challenges for me. They definitely aren’t an “easy” dessert, which honestly made me want to learn them even more. I loved figuring out the technique, experimenting with flavors and colors, and working until I could make them exactly the way I wanted. What started as a hobby quickly became the one that stuck.
Over time, that love for making macarons grew into A Little Sugar & Butter. I really love being able to bring something unique to local markets that you can’t just find everywhere. I’m constantly trying new flavors, learning new techniques, and finding ways to make my macarons even better. It’s become a business I truly love and something I’m really proud to have built while raising my family.
When did the idea for your business first take shape, and what inspired you to pursue it?
I’ve been baking for years, but the idea of turning it into a business really took shape in 2025. My husband’s eye disease had progressed to the point that he could no longer work full time, and our family suddenly had to adjust. After being a stay-at-home mom for years, I needed to figure out a way to help provide financially while still being home and present for our 10 kids.
Baking was something I already loved, and macarons gave me the opportunity to turn that passion into something that could truly support our family. Early this year, we started doing farmers markets together as a family, and we completely fell in love with it. I loved meeting customers, becoming part of the local market community, and seeing people get excited about something I had made from scratch. What started out as a way to bring in extra income has grown into a business that our whole family gets to be a part of, and something I genuinely love doing.
What do you remember most about getting the business off the ground?
I think what I remember most is how excited I was to decorate my booth. It sounds funny, but it was one of my favorite parts then, and honestly still is. I already knew I had a product I was proud of and that my macarons were delicious, so I wanted the booth to feel like the final piece of the puzzle. Designing banners and menus, picking out displays, and eventually creating custom boxes and packaging gave me something fun to look forward to in between all the bake days.
At the same time, I was terrified. I remember wondering, “What if I go to a market and sell nothing?” or “What if people don’t actually like my macarons?” There was so much excitement mixed with a lot of uncertainty. Looking back, that combination of being really proud of what I had created while also being completely nervous about putting it in front of people is probably what I remember most.
Building a business comes with its share of surprises. What have been some of the harder moments you've had to work through?
One of the harder parts has definitely been the cost of everything. Starting a business can get expensive very quickly, and doing that while already working with an incredibly tight budget has been challenging. I’ve had to be really intentional about what I spend money on, what can wait, and what will actually help the business grow.
I also learned pretty early that even in the beginning, it’s important to pay attention to whether you’re actually making a profit. It’s easy to get excited and keep buying things for the business, but every market still needs to make sense financially. Learning how to balance investing in the business while still making sure we’re bringing money home has probably been one of the biggest challenges.
Looking back, what has running your business taught you that you didn’t expect to learn?
Running my business has taught me just how incredibly blessed I am. I get to work, do something I genuinely enjoy, and still spend time with my husband and kids. Not many people get to say that, and I don’t take it for granted.
It’s also made me think a lot more intentionally about how I spend my time. Life is short, and tomorrow is never promised. Whether it’s work or my personal life, I want what I’m doing to feel meaningful. I want to build something I’m proud of, create memories with my family along the way, and be able to look back someday and feel good about how I chose to spend these years.
What does your business do, and what can people in your community come to you for?
A Little Sugar & Butter specializes in handmade Italian macarons and other from-scratch treats, with macarons really being the heart of what I do. All of my macarons are naturally gluten free, and I love creating flavors that are a little different from what you can find at a typical bakery.
People in the community can find me at local farmers markets like Melissa and Greenville and events for something fun to enjoy themselves, bring home to their family, give as a gift, or serve for a special occasion. I’m always rotating flavors and trying new ideas, so there’s usually something new to discover. More than anything, I want to be the local place people think of when they want a really good macaron and a treat that feels a little special.
When someone chooses your business, what do you hope they notice or experience that sets you apart?
I hope people notice how intentional I am about the details. From the ingredients I use to the way everything is packaged, I want the whole experience to feel special. Every macaron is individually bagged and heat sealed, and I’ve put a lot of thought into things like custom boxes and presentation because I want the quality to show before you even take the first bite.
I also hope people feel that they’re supporting a real family-run business. My husband and kids are part of this journey with me, and there’s a lot of care behind everything we make. I want customers to see that it isn’t just about selling macarons—it’s about creating something we’re proud to put our name on.
Is there a product, service, or part of your business that you wish more people knew about?
I also take custom orders for larger events! Macarons are such a fun addition to weddings, quinceañeras, baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays, and other special occasions. I can work with customers on colors, flavors, and quantities to help the macarons fit the look and feel of their event.
A lot of people know me from farmers markets, so I’d love for more people to know that A Little Sugar & Butter can also be part of those bigger celebrations.
What can someone expect when they become a customer for the first time?
They can expect a personal, welcoming experience and a product I’m genuinely proud of. I know macarons can be a little unfamiliar to some people, so I love helping first-time customers choose flavors and encouraging them to try something new.
I also want every part of the experience to feel thoughtful—from the way the macarons are displayed and packaged to the quality and care that goes into making them. My hope is that they leave with something delicious, feel good about supporting a small family-run business, and want to come back and try another flavor next time.
What keeps you excited about the work you do?
What keeps me excited is that there’s always something new to create or improve. I love coming up with new macaron flavors, experimenting with different ideas, and pushing myself to make them better each time. I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of learning something that isn’t easy, and macarons give me plenty of that.
I also love the market side of the business. Seeing someone try one of my macarons for the first time, hearing that they came back specifically to find me, or watching a new flavor become a favorite makes all of the long bake days worth it. And because my family gets to be part of it with me, it feels like we’re building something together, which keeps me excited about where the business can go next.
What are some of the values or principles that guide the way you run your business?
The biggest things that guide me are quality, honesty, and being intentional about what I put out into the world. I don’t want to cut corners just to make something faster or cheaper. From the ingredients I use to the way each macaron is packaged, I want customers to feel like they’re getting something I’ve truly cared about making.
Family is also at the center of everything I do. This business was created to help support my family while still allowing me to be present with them, and I never want to lose sight of that. I want to grow, be profitable, and keep challenging myself, but I also want to do it in a way that feels meaningful, sustainable, and true to why I started in the first place.
What does being a local business owner mean to you, and what do you appreciate most about the community you’re part of?
Being a local business owner means getting to be part of something bigger than just selling a product. One of my favorite parts has been building relationships with customers, other vendors, and the people who organize the markets and events we attend. You start to recognize familiar faces, people come back looking for their favorite flavors, and over time it really does start to feel like a community.
What I appreciate most is how supportive people can be of small businesses. When someone chooses to spend their money with me, shares my business with a friend, or comes back week after week, it means a lot. They aren’t just buying macarons—they’re helping support my family and allowing me to keep doing something I love.
Is there a customer story that has stayed with you?
There’s one family that comes to see me at almost every Melissa market, and they always show up with the biggest smiles and so much excitement. Seeing familiar faces like that already means a lot, but one interaction with them really stayed with me.
She has a food allergy, and when I realized there was something I could do to make sure she still had an option she could enjoy, I offered without a second thought. The gratitude she had over something that felt so simple to me completely made my day. Moments like that remind me that this business is about so much more than just selling macarons. Customers like them, and getting to make someone feel included and cared for, are a huge part of why I love what I do.
What do you hope people remember about your business after they’ve experienced it?
I hope people remember that behind A Little Sugar & Butter, I’m really just a mom trying to build something meaningful and make life better for my family. I’m not a big company—I’m a regular person baking, packing orders, setting up markets, learning as I go, and putting a lot of myself into every part of this business.
Of course I want people to remember that the macarons were delicious, but I also hope they remember the person behind them. Every purchase, every repeat customer, and every kind word genuinely matters to me because this business is helping support the people I love most.
Write anything else you'd like to add that we haven't covered:
I’m incredibly grateful for how much this business has grown in such a short time and for every person who has supported us along the way. What started as a way to help provide for my family has become something I genuinely love and something I’m excited to keep building.
I don’t know exactly where A Little Sugar & Butter will be a few years from now, but I hope I’m still creating, still learning, still challenging myself, and still getting to do it alongside my family. More than anything, I want to build something my kids can look back on and be proud that they were a part of too.