There’s no denying that the past few months have allowed us to really get our creative juices flowing (no pun intended). This was incredibly true for Isabella Abbate--founder and owner of Simply Bella’s Simple Syrups. 

Check out this Q&A we had with Isabella and find out more about her and all the fun behind Simply Bella’s. 

Q: What prompted you to want to start your own business? 

• A: I was laid off as a Restaurant Manager.

Q: What sparked the idea of Simply Bella’s?

• A: I started making fun drinks for my friends and showed them how easy it was to do with the syrup. I saw a growing interest in the product shortly after and decided to grow the business.

Q: When did you start Simply Bella’s?

• A: [In] May the idea came about, however, [I] started to actually sell in June.

Q: How do you obtain your products?

• A: Ingredients, for the most part, come from local NJ farmers.

Q: Where are your products sold?

• A: Now that market season is over, I still remain selling on my website and Etsy. [I’m] thinking about growing into Instagram and Facebook as well.

Q: What’s your favorite cocktail and/or mocktail to make?

• A: HUGE tequila fan, but what woman isn't? I like using my sweet and spicy syrups to make margaritas. Stay tuned for new sweet and spicy flavors to be released.

Q: Which syrup is your bestseller?

• A: Lavender, which is funny because I expected it to sell the least. Lavender is where my interest in syrup [making] sparked. 

Q: How would you describe the success of the company so far?

• A: Ha, "exceeded expectations" I'd like to say. Back in May I wanted to start this business to be my "in between" thing. Seeing the hospitality industry is still suffering, I made this my "full-time" thing. 

Q: How do you see the business developing/progressing in the near & far future?

• A: Working on more wholesale with restaurants/bars and retail.
  

Q: Do you have any syrup recommendations for the upcoming holidays?

• A: Cinnamon Vanilla seems to be a hit right now! However, new flavors are coming out all the time; Chocolate Peppermint is on that list (very excited for that).

  
  

To add to the fun, Isabella has also hosted an event in October benefiting New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger. It was a HUGE success, and drew in a large sum of funds to help the beneficiary.

She is also starting a segment on Instagram titled “Cocktail Chronicles.” If you want to learn how to make fun and tasty drinks, definitely check it out. 

To learn more about Simply Bella’s, check out their website and social media. 

Website: https://www.simplybellas.com/

Instagram: @simply_bellas