When she was growing up, Jolene Conway always heard the same thing from her friends. “Your house smells so good.” Her mom was an excellent cook, always entertaining, always making something wonderful from the pages of her Betty Crocker cookbook. She encouraged Conway to explore the kitchen at an early age. For Conway, her willingness to follow Mom’s advice, to experiment in the kitchen, has paid off with a product that is rapidly gaining followers – a product that is perfectly positioned for unattended retail, pantry service and vending.
“Our product is called ‘Dible Dough,’ an edible cookie dough bar,” said Conway. “Using my family’s recipes, I created this homemade, crave-worthy cookie dough that uses all-natural, recognizable ingredients with no preservatives.”
Retail sweet spot
The retail community has found a “sweet spot” for Conway’s Dible Dough, which is currently being sold in 6,000 stores nationwide. Her company has come a long way since Conway was a stay-at-home “team mom” with three daughters, kept busy by running the school concession stands and operating a small catering company.
“When I would make my cookies, I would always roll them up into balls and put them in the refrigerator and bake them the next day, because they bake up better. So, every time I would go to make cookies, half the dough was gone, because everybody knew that I always had cookie dough in that refrigerator,” Conway said. “I began to wonder if people would buy cookie dough, so I went to Sam's Club, got a little souffle cup, put a lid on it, made a little label, served it with a wooden spoon and sold it at school sports concession stands.”
Conway was stunned when she sold 50 of the cookie dough cups and customers told her they would rather have cookie dough than a chocolate bar or bag of candy. “I thought the response was impressive, and that’s when the wheels started turning and I began to wonder if I could make a business out of this,” she explained.
Some sound advice
After her first taste of success, Conway took her little cookie dough cups down to Schlitterbahn Water Park, which was just down the road from her in New Braunfels, Texas. There, she was given some useful advice. “The guy who ran their concessions told me if I wanted to compete with other sweet, indulgent treats, I needed to change the look. It was brilliant advice, and I found a manufacturer who could make it in the form of a bar, gave him my recipes and that is how we really got started in 2017,” Conway said.
C-store success
Good things began to happen for Conway, especially after a product sampling got Dible Dough placed in 70 QuikTrip (QT) stores, just before the pandemic. The product took off, and Dible Dough was given the opportunity to sell all of its flavors in all QT stores. That was the beginning of a fast upward trajectory for Dible Dough. The company grossed $2 million in 2023 and expects to double that amount this year.
While Conway’s original Dible Dough recipe requires refrigeration and remains a favorite of loyal customers, Dible Dough also offers a shelf-stable version of the same product, which aligns perfectly with the needs of many convenience services operators. Flavors include the classic number-one flavor Chocolate Chip, plus Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Sugar Cookie with Sprinkles.
Bob Tullio’s perspective – Why Dible Dough makes sense for operators
Indulgence sells: When you taste Dible Dough, you’ll know that it is a seriously indulgent product, and that continues to be a successful category for convenience services. I love Conway’s perspective on the product: “We’re not selling kale ice cream here. It’s cookie dough. Everyone knows it, everyone loves it, and it is delicious.”
Strong distribution: Dible Dough works with Vistar, so the product is readily available to operators.
Shelf life: The shelf-stable product has a 12-month life and does not require refrigeration. “We used a butter blend that allowed us to still have an all-natural product with no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, or preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup. It is truly the way you would make your cookies at home. Of course, we still have the original version available that requires refrigeration,” said Conway.
Broad appeal – from millennials to NASCAR fans: “Whether it's kids or older people, men or women, there are so many different people that I think this product speaks to,” Conway noted, pointing to millennials as a strong fan base. “Because I've got three daughters who are millennials, I see what they purchase and how they purchase and why they purchase items. That group is looking for clean, simple, recognizable ingredients. They want to have an indulgent treat, but they want to have it portion controlled. They want their sweet treat, but they don't want it to be unhealthy. They want something that they can feel good about without feeling guilty. They want guilt-free indulgence,” she said.
“I don't know anything about NASCAR, but there's a female driver, Hailie Deegan. She was in the truck series. We sponsored a race with her in Kansas City, and she had Dible Dough on her truck. She had a Dible Dough fire suit. She was adorable, and she's young, up and coming in the NASCAR world, but well-respected. You can’t believe how much traction we are getting from that sponsorship,” added Conway.
Solid profit margin: Conway said that Dible Dough bars cost about $1.40 each, with a selling price in the premium protein bar or premium indulgent snack category, which can easily run in the $2.75 to $2.95 range.
A woman-owned business: Conway acknowledged that she is proud of Dible Dough, a thriving woman-owned business. “There are so many successful female operators in NAMA,” she said. “That is exciting and encouraging for us. We can’t wait to see everyone in Dallas.”
Where can an operator learn more about Dible Dough bars? Two options:
- Visit Conway at the NAMA Show in Dallas – Booth 1658. She promises to have plenty of samples to go around.
- Reach out directly to Jolene Conway at [email protected].
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bob Tullio is a content specialist, speaker, sales trainer, consultant and a contributing editor of Automatic Merchandiser/VendingMarketWatch.com. He advises entrepreneurs on how to build a successful business from the ground up and specializes in helping suppliers connect with operators in the convenience services industry – coffee service, vending, micro markets and pantry service specifically.
Subscribe to Automatic Merchandiser's podcast, Vending & OCS Nation, hosted by Tullio and designed to make your business more profitable.
Tullio can be reached at 818-261-1758 and [email protected].
