Today we’d like to introduce you to Montana Donahue
Hi Montana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Of course! I started Montis Munchies in high school as a lil side gig to raise money to make lunch sacks for the homeless. I’d make my whoopie pies and sell to other classmates and some teachers to raise the funds :)! I then joined the culinary arts team at my high school and was in competitive cooking for a couple years in my teens before I started working in fine dining doing prep and pastry. Through the years I’ve left and gone back to the kitchen but I finally left it due to very toxic environments and I wanted to just make my happy pastries 🙂 When I started Montis Munchies again I started with just friends and family but then I opened a cafe in Hillcrest 🙂 but due to COVID I ended up closing and took a break. Finding my love again I’ve rented a commissary kitchen and now do pop up markets and custom cake and dessert orders :)! I’m all about spreading positivity and happiness through my baking. One of Montis Munchies Original are my “Positive Bento Cakes”. They’re 4in 3 layer cake frosted with my signature buttercream and topped with a positive message :)! Perfect for someone needing a pick me up or just a sweet gift! They’re my specialty along with my O.G. Whoopie Pies that I started in high school 🙂 I do pop up markets with my mom as a mom and daughter team spreading positivity and happiness in this crazy place lol!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Whew not at all! The toxic cooking industry that I was finally able to leave was so hard to deal with. Being a woman in the kitchen is hard and scary. Just to make food, kinda crazy. But it’s my passion and my drive so as toxic as it was I dealt with it. But after so many years it was breaking me down and I wasn’t looking cooking or baking. I left for a lil and then when I started Montis Munchies with the cafe COVID was horrible as we can all imagine how that was. I ended up caving early because the debt was just too much with no light at the end of the tunnel. Feeling super sad and defeated I actually moved to Arizona to pursue baking there but it was a dead end and hard to start clientele all over again in a new city. Finally came home and since starting Montis Munchies Pop Ups I’ve been in 2 car accidents, one totaling my work car and the second was the new work car a week into having it! So unfortunate and it landed me in the hospital left with injuries and trauma. But will never give up! After a couple months I was finally comfortable in a car again and started the pop ups again! Spreading positivity because just like everyone I have a story and it hasn’t been easy and being positive isn’t always easy but it’s what keeps me going 🙂
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a pastry chef out on her own making her own lane with Positive Bento Cakes! With the negativity in the world, I wanted to spread kindness in my own special way. I love cakes, I love tiny cakes! I always hear “Oh I can’t have sugar” or “ohhh I can’t have that” but everything should be in moderation! Sometimes a little treat is exactly what you need! It’s a great pick me up for yourself or a friend having a hard time. I’m known for my Whoopie Pies from high school and my Positive Bento Cakes 🙂 I’m most proud of my mission, just spreading kindness, joy and positivity. We can always find something to be sad about but that means we can always find something to be happy about 🙂 I have clinical depression and I fight everyday to be positive and push through the day, this is extremely personal and important to me, ive been so low before and it was the little things that kept me going. My cakes are meant to help someone when they’re going through a hard time or to celebrate how great they feel with that positive confirmation:)
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Just that shopping local and supporting small business means literally everything to us. It pays for our food, gas, our life. We love and appreciate every single one of you! Please shop and support local!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/montismunchies
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/montismunchies
- Other: https://TikTok.com/montismunchies
Image Credits
@lotusbloomphotography.sd
@courtneygovan
