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Truffle Shots
Where many stumble into the sweets business, others have
chocolate running through their veins. One such other is
Lauren Athay, the 29-year-old co-founder of Truffle Shots.
Truffle shots is known for its truffles where the hard-outer
casing is replaced by a shot glass. Pouring the gooey ganache
into the glass allows for immediate access to, according to
Athay, the only part of the truffle worth having.
Athay and her mother, Sherri, came up with the idea of Truffle
Shots after much deliberation over the hard-shell dilemma.
One day, during a casual shopping trip, Athay spotted the
glasses.
"All I said was, 'Wow! Wouldn't those be beautiful with
chocolate in them?' and immediately my mom was like
'Truffle Shots!' We went home, applied for a trademark and
patent, bought a web domain, and started experimenting … all
in one night," Athay said.
Athay was 21 when she helped her mom start Truffle Shots. At
the time, she was enrolled at Virginia University and unsure
if philosophy, film production or business should be her
declared major.
"I always had a wide variety of interests, and I always loved
chocolate. I guess it's a good thing that I ended up with
Truffle Shots full-time," Athay said.
While at school, Athay played an active role in the company,
strategically planning with her mother, consulting on flavors
and packaging, anything she could do remotely. When she
graduated with a degree in philosophy, she jumped straight
back into the family business, full-time.
"Now I help with production as well as client consultations,"
Athay said. "We just had a group come in to book an order
for their wedding, so I helped them decide how to best to
Truffle Shots is designed to make accessing the gooey part of a chocolate candy easier.
Lauren Athay
Co-founder, Truffle Shots
