How a husband and wife built a million-dollar business selling cinnamon buns without spending a single cent on marketing

Nikki and Mike Ashkar at their bakery eating cinnamon buns.Jacky Zarra/Business InsiderMav's Top Buns has sold over half a million cinnamon buns.Nikki Ashkar leveraged social media to grow the business without paid marketing.Balancing family and business, the Ashkars produce up to 1,000 buns daily on weekends.When Nikki Ashkar and her husband Mike baked her grandmother's cinnamon buns for the first time, they didn't plan to start a million-dollar business.Five years later, however, their small business, Mav's Top Buns, has sold over half a million cinnamon buns. Since the start of 2024, it has generated more than $1 million, according to sales report records reviewed by Business Insider."We went from selling cinnamon buns from a U-Haul truck to making over $1 million in about a year," Nikki told BI's Rachel Cohn.Today, they bake the buns at a bakery in New Jersey. At $10 a bun, the price isn't cheap, but neither is the labor. "You've got to know your worth," Nikki said.The dough rests for 72 hours before hitting the oven. The frosting, a secret ratio of vanilla bean to cream cheese, is applied twice. "We ice every single nook and cranny," Nikki said, adding, "So that you never miss a good bite."How they built a million-dollar businessA cinnamon bun from Mav's Top Buns.Jacky Zarra/Business InsiderComing from a marketing background, Nikki knew that branding was as essential as the recipe itself. She didn't want to call the business "Mike and Nikki's buns."Ultimately, they chose the name "Mav's Top Buns," named after her firstborn son, Maverick. From the start, she positioned the business as the "best cinnamon buns in New Jersey.""We truly believe that," Nikki said, adding, "When you believe something so intrinsically about your product and what you bring to the table, you become that."Inside the couple's boutique bakery in New Jersey.Jacky Zarra/Business InsiderNikki said they have never paid for marketing or influencer promotions. Instead, their own social media accounts helped drive growth.For example, Nikki began posting photos and videos on the business's Instagram account in 2020, some of which have since gone viral. One of her first viral posts racked up 80,000 likes."At first I was kind of offended," she said of the viral video's angry comments at how she was holding the bun. "But as we grew and as we got more viral, it just became one of those things where the more viral you get, the more people are going to comment whatever they want to comment, and it's good for the algorithm, it's good for us."Cinnamon rolls are baked in large batches to keep up with demand.Jacky Zarra/Business InsiderOne of the account's most viral posts features standard visuals but pairs them with an edgy audio clip that includes some profanity.Nikki said she hesitated before posting it, worried it might be too bold for a family business. However, the post felt authentic to her. "People related to things a lot when we were just authentically ourselves."It's not like the Insta page is filled with edgy content, however. Other posts showcase the couple's quirky personality through delicious-looking cinnamon buns accompanied by metal music and rap, and some dancing videos.Juggling 3 kids while running a business has been toughNom nom nom.Jacky Zarra/Business InsiderNikki opened the bakery while eight months pregnant, balancing a newborn, late-night bakes, and long lines of customers. Mav's Top Buns now produces up to 1,000 buns a day during peak weekends, she said.Behind the scenes, Nikki and Mike juggle the demands of entrepreneurship and parenthood."I think that's what people really grabbed onto, and that's why they love to support us because they know how hard a mom and dad work," Nikki said.When asked what keeps her going through burnout and sleepless nights, Nikki credited perseverance and authenticity."Sometimes we'd lose power and we'd roll buns by candlelight, but it was those times where it really separated the men from the boys, where if you keep going, you will succeed," she said.Nikki said their three children are already mimicking the family trade, rolling Play-Doh into miniature buns at home.Read the original article on Business Insider

Comments

Business News

Rachel Reeves axes ‘arbitrary rules’ costing firms £6 billion ahead of Budget

Evening Standard

Comments

Business News

Rachel Reeves axes ‘arbitrary rules’ costing firms £6 billion ahead of Budget

UK elderly population at record high as more men live to very old age

FTSE 100 holds firm amid hefty gold miner losses

Brexit has made UK economy and productivity ‘weaker’ than thought, says Reeves

FTSE 100 holds firm amid hefty gold miner losses

Brexit has made UK economy and productivity ‘weaker’ than thought, says Reeves

Kering And L’Oréal Double Down On Their Strengths In $4.7 Billion Beauty Deal

Broadcast TV Gets Record Boost Thanks To Football's Return

World Series Teams Waded Through Tough Tournament

China’s New AI Strategy Explained

Vincent Kompany And Bayern Munich Agree Contract Extension Until 2029

The Big Problem With Netflix Banking On ‘KPop Demon Hunters’

What Time Does ‘Gen V’ Season 2 Finale Begin? How To Watch

US Public Opinion On Internationalism

$1 Trillion And Counting: Do Federal Grants Sabotage Regulatory Reform?

Rajah Caruth Signs Xfinity Series Deal With JR Motorsports

Pardoned Capitol Rioter Arrested After Threatening Murder Of Hakeem Jeffries

Trump scolds ‘young lady’ reporter for Argentina bailout question: ‘You don’t know anything about it’

Bank should take concerns over private finance ‘very seriously’, says Bailey

Bank should take concerns over private finance ‘very seriously’, says Bailey

UK inflation expected to jump to 21-month high of 4%

Americans losing $728 per year due to simple food mistakes. Five easy changes to help you save money

Warner Bros. Discovery Considers Sale—Stock Jumps 10%

WWE Missing Golden Opporunity With Jey Uso Vs. CM Punk

AWS Outage: What To Know As Amazon Says Cloud Service Is Back To Normal

Why Disney Shot Down Adam Driver’s ‘The Hunt For Ben Solo’ Movie

From Performance To Purpose: Meet The CMO Redefining Brand Growth Through Balance

The Beatles Chart A Top 10 Bestseller With A Beloved Classic

The 3 Best Movies To Watch On Netflix This Week (#2 Is Leaving Soon)

Week 8 Fantasy Football Sleepers: 5 Players You Should Target

The Next Retail Shake-Up: AI Agents That Redefine Your Job

A Too ‘Busy’ Stranger Things Actor Isn’t Back For Season 5

How PBS Is Navigating Turbulent Seas Of Federal Defunding

‘The Long Walk’ Is Now Streaming—How To Watch The Stephen King Thriller At Home

Tax Hikes And Tax Limits On The November Ballot In Colorado And Texas

Taylor Swift’s Surprising Sales Strategy Pays Off As She Scores New No. 1s

Dustin Poirier On Life After Retirement From UFC Octagon: ‘Trying To Keep My Mind Busy’

5 Burning Questions Facing The Milwaukee Bucks This Season

Senne Lammens Is Already Proving To Be A Big Upgrade For Manchester United

Madonna’s Previously-Shelved Song Becomes A Bestseller Ahead Of A New EP

Elevance Health’s Profits Eclipse $1.1 Billion Despite Rising Costs

Trump, Albanese Build A Link In The Rare Earth Minerals Chain

Are Bitcoin And Blockchain Powering A New Decentralized Space Race?

Gayle King posts selfie with Fox News host Jesse Watters — prompting liberal meltdown

Warner Bros. Discovery says it’s open to a sale after ‘unsolicited offers,’ stock surges 9%

Stealth inheritance tax rises lead to record £4.4bn take for Treasury

High street banks found to offer worse interest rates as new 4.75% account hits market

November 2025 payment dates for benefits and pensions plus cost of living support

The NBA’s Highest-Paid Players 2025

Natural Gas May Save US Producers As Oil Falls

Utah Jazz Are Looking To Run The Tyrese Maxey Playbook With Walker Kessler

Team India Generates Bedlam Like No Other Cricket Team

Tuesday, October 21. Russia’s War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine

Oklahoma City Thunder: 2025-26 Season Preview

How To Have A Difficult Conversation - 4 Tips For Leaders

Maximize Productivity: Why Employee Retention Is Game-Changing

Administrators reveal locations of 68 Pizza Hut restaurants set to close

All the Pizza Hut restaurants in London set to close

Thames Water delays challenging watchdog’s ruling on bills amid rescue plan

Thames Water delays challenging watchdog’s ruling on bills amid rescue plan