My name is Megan Shonka, and I’m the owner of Happy Mango Bakery. Me and my husband have three strong-willed boys who test us and keep us on our toes daily. They are the joy of my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The story of my bakery begins years ago, when a little seed of an idea was planted during a chaotic time in my life.
I started Happy Mango Bakery when the world came to a halt due to the 2020 Covid pandemic. I had just given birth to my third son in January of 2020. It was a difficult birth, and a struggle to transition into our new normal as a family of 5. Once I felt like I had gotten out of the weeds with the newborn stage, I intended to jump right back in to my work. My previous source of income was running an Airbnb from my home since 2017. It was how I contributed to my family’s income while allowing me the flexibility to be present for my kids. Unfortunately, with everything shut down during the pandemic, I was left to find an alternative to keep us afloat.
I began playing in the kitchen with recipes and baking/cooking various things to pass the time. I had been baking since I was a teen and this “down” time gave me ample opportunity to tinker. I drew from my background as an artist and started to make simple treats, but focused on the aesthetic aspect. My first attempt at making “food art” was creating cupcake bouquets for Mother’s Day in 2020. These became the gifts I dropped on my family’s doorsteps in lieu of gathering in person.
After posting about my baking/art adventures on Facebook, it was apparent that it had struck a cord with people. So, I set out to dabble with a little side hustle of making pretty cupcakes for the Covid-friendly celebrations that people were having all over the place. I started by just making treats for my friends and family. Little did I know, the tiny seed of inspiration that was planted was taking root and preparing to shoot up above the soil. I officially launched my business with a Post on Facebook on July 4th, 2020 exclaiming to the world, and my community, that I was open for orders to the general public.
I became obsessed with searching for new baking and decorating techniques on YouTube and trying them out in my kitchen. Through much trial and error, I honed my skills and started offering various items to my customers. Over time my interests bounced to different things. However, one thing I have learned about this industry is that there is NEVER a shortage of things to learn or new techniques to try. I love checking out new trends and expanding my skillset. I will never stop learning!
I also love to teach about as much as I enjoy learning new things. I made a serendipitous visit to Mangelsen’s (a local craft store) one day, grabbing a handful of supplies for my next cake adventure. In the isle stocked full of new cake items, I saw a sign that said “Do you want to teach?” Mangelsen’s was looking for someone to teach cake decorating, and I had been trying to figure out logistics to begin teaching others everything I had learned thus far in my baking journey. It was fate! I met with the owners of the shop, told them what I wanted to do, and in October of 2021 I started my career as a cake decorating instructor with Mangelsen’s. It gives me so much joy to see my students try something new, get creative, and master a skill.
As the years have passed, I’ve gained so much experience and learned so many things from running my bakery. What was intended to just be a fun “side hustle” to keep me busy during a pandemic has bloomed into something that is so much bigger than a hobby. My orders have increased significantly. I’ve hired helpers to keep up. I’ve taken on an office assistant to manage the “behind the scenes” stuff to keep everything running smoothly. Demand continues to increase as our name becomes more well known in our community. So, in May of 2024, just 4 years after I created my first cupcake bouquet just for fun, we opened our doors in a brand-new brick and mortar space. We offer grab and go bakery treats, take orders for custom items, and teach classes in our shop. We have lots of ideas for the future and are excited to see what baking adventures come our way. Thank you for being part of the community that has supported us over the years and will continue to do so as we find new ways to spread joy like sprinkles.