Meet Matt Turner of Waffle Doods in Northglenn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Turner.

Matt, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I did not intend to be a wafflepreneur… After 10ish years of software engineering, it was time for a career change. A good friend of mine in a similar field was also dealing with serious mental health issues related to his job, so we began discussing other options. With the support of my wonderful wife, Andorra, I quit my job at Ball Aerospace and went on a 1000+ mile motorcycle road trip with my friend out to the West Coast, Northwest, through Idaho and Montana… It was great… then my dog got sick.

Andorra and I didn’t know if he was going to get better. We spent thousands trying to figure it out, and never got any answers. The vet called it “FUO” or Fever of Unknown Origin. He wouldn’t eat, he had little to no energy, and he barely even responded to my presence (extremely unlike him). It was during this time that I created the Doggo Waffle in a desperate effort to get him to eat. I am happy to say it worked! And from that, Waffle Doods was born. In addition to dog waffles, I continued playing around with regular (for people) waffles. Because there are plenty of “normal” waffle recipes, I went a more offbeat route and decided to try my hand at gluten-free. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law both have celiac disease, and it is important to me that they could enjoy these tasty treats as well. The resulting waffles were so good, I decided to drop the regular waffles altogether.

Over the course of 2019, we attended festivals, brewery events, and even held a few of our own! The response has been fantastic. I met a woman named Katalina at a dog event who is the owner of Kat’s K9s – a local dog services company. Shortly after this, I began walking dogs with her company to make extra money, and decided to go all-in with the dog life!

Everything was going well until February when all orders, walks, and income suddenly stopped. I had no choice but to take a job working nights at a nearby Amazon fulfillment center. This is where I find myself today: working 10.5 hour nights, six nights a week, for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, when this quarantine is over, I’ll be able to take a few coworkers with me and really get Waffle Doods off the ground!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Running a business is hard. Running a food business is even harder! Most of the issues I’ve encountered have been related to my own failings as I’ve learned and grown as an entrepreneur. Self-organization and time management have always been problems for me, and working for myself has really put a magnifying glass on that. Running a business is like a marathon with no end. To be honest, the quarantine has actually been a bit of a saving grace for me. It has given me the time to pause and reflect, and to catch back up to the rest of the world.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Waffle Doods – what should we know?
Waffle Doods produces gluten-unnecessary waffle treats for people and their pups! Who needs gluten, anyway? Our Doggo Waffles are oat and egg-based and are dehydrated for long shelf-life and portability. Our tasty people waffles are all gluten-free, but you’d never know it from eating one, and they come in a variety of delicious flavors like Lemon Poppyseed, Banana Bread, Carrot Cake, Jalapeno Cornbread, and even Fruity Pebble. Waffle Doods is proud to be a provider of delicious food for everyone, but especially those effected by dietary allergies. We believe that good food should taste good and that everyone should have access to it.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I owe a massive unending pile of thanks to my patient, tolerant, and supportive wife, Andorra. I also owe more than I can ever express to my father for being such an excellent role model, and for my parent’s generous support as we’ve risked our financial security to get Waffle Doods off the ground. I love you, Mom and Dad.

Pricing:

• Original Doggo Waffles come in 4 packs for $5
• Mini Doggo Waffles are sold in 20 packs for $5
• People Waffles are $5 each.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.waffledoods.com
• Email: matt@waffledoods.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waffledoods/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/waffledoods/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/thewaffledood/

Image Credit:
Matt Turner, Andorra Turner

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