Founded by entrepreneur Sarah Takforyan, c’est BONBON (formerly La boîte à bonbons) offers gluten-free, fat-free, and ultra-fresh candies in exclusive mixes. Available in over 3,000 stores across Canada and the U.S., as well as online, the brand brings joy to women aged 20–65, from students to retirees. Inspired by France’s vibrant candy culture, Sarah created C’est BONBON to offer fresh, high-quality treats, with a commitment to eliminate artificial flavours and colours (NAFNAC) by 2030. Known for its cute, colourful branding, the company delivers sweets that create unforgettable moments of happiness.
What is your business called and what does it do?
“c’est BONBON” (currently and soon formerly known as La boîte à bonbons), we offer gluten-free, fat free, fresh candies in exclusive mixes. Available in over 3,000 retailers in Canada and the US, as well as online.
What made you want to do this work?
Being an entrepreneur was a little bit in my genes, as my dad also started his own business, where I used to help as a kid. As I was wrapping up my masters degree in international business, I knew I was not cut out for the corporate world, and that I wanted to be in a startup environment. I started working in a tech company, but quickly quit when I launched the company.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
I started a candy company because I wanted to offer more options to people. Coming from France, I was used to having entire sections filled with candies at the grocery store, and I thought we could improve that here! I wanted to offer exciting options for people to share with friends and family!
Who are your clientele/demographics?
My target demographic is me! Most of our customers are women, aged between 20 and 65: mum, students, grandmother, professional, retired. Anyone who wants to experience something nice while eating a bag of candy. Our branding is cute, clean and colourful.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We wholesale our candy bags to retailers (B2B) and online (B2C).
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
Why are you different from your competitor? We are different on several levels. First, we offer gluten free and specifically fresh candies, because we work with small quantities, ensuring a regular yet fresh rotation of gummies. Then, we strive to work hand in hand with our suppliers to modify and improve the ingredients in candies (aiming to go No Artificial Flavours No Artificial Colours – NAFNAC by 2030 on all of our products). Finally, we wrote down our values on our website and strive to build a business and a community that respects them.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part is to develop products and see that people respond to them! It’s not about selling them, but about the feedback they give us, the moments they share, the joy our products bring to them. The worst part, this one is funny, is that we work all year round to build our end-of-the-year period. Our business gets a lot of traction from September to December for Halloween and Christmas, and we feel like we spend all year planning these two events, but do not get to enjoy them as much when they happen.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
Nobody takes you seriously when you say, “Hey, I sell candies for a living”, until they see the business we have built over the years!
Where can we follow you?
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
Our friends from Foodies Page have a gift basket business (which happens to feature our candies).
