From Université de Saint-Boniface to Sundae School
Why do monkeys love bananas?
Because they have appeal.
Bunches of people have fallen in love with Le Monkey Bar’s treats, from their chocolate-dipped bananas to fruit smoothies, popsicles, shakes and sundaes. Stop by the Le Monkey Bar kiosk at Esplanade Riel this summer when you’re in search of something sweet, but first find out a little more about how monkeying around turned into serious business from co-owner Muriel Dupis.
Q: When – and how – did Le Monkey Bar get its start? How did you arrive at the name?
A: It started as a business plan competition for our entrepreneurship course at Université de Saint-Boniface. Our concept was chocolate dipped bananas, and right away my co-owner Rahim came up with the name, Le Monkey Bar. It was important for us to have a bit of French in the name because we are two proud francophones.
Q: What is your background?
Rahim got his master’s degree in business administration in Tunisia, his country of origin. He came to Winnipeg to further his studies in 2014. He recently finished his studies at the Université de Saint-Boniface. I went straight to post-secondary school after high school and recently finished my studies at Université de Saint-Boniface. We both plan to work on Le Monkey Bar full time after the summer.
Q: How did you arrive at a menu? Has it changed since you began?
A: We knew we always wanted to offer healthy options. Our first year we only had smoothies and dipped bananas, with a few vegan options. People were asking for more vegan and dairy-free options and we saw it as a business opportunity to cater to them. By the end of our first season, we were 100% vegan. In the second year, we decided to become more of a dessert shop by adding a lot more options on our menu. We now consider Le Monkey Bar as a vegan dessert shop.
Q: What is it like running a seasonal business? What is the off-season like for you?
A: It started off more like a hobby, but we quickly became well known and had to invest more time in the business. We decided to first finish our studies before taking our business full time. During the off-season, we were in school, trying new recipes and learning how to run a successful business through our various part-time jobs.
Q: How did you land the location? What’s special about being on the bridge?
A: We got the kiosk because we won a business plan competition. We were able to keep the kiosk because the owner, Normand Gousseau from Enterprises Riel, enjoyed our partnership and the vibe we bring to the bridge. We absolutely adore our kiosk. The location is great because you get a great mix of our regular clientele and new business from tourists visiting the neighborhood. There is never a dull moment on the bridge.
Q: How do you source your ingredients and supplies? Why was it important to be eco-friendly and vegan?
A: Finding the right supplier was always a bit of a challenge because the big guys didn’t carry the vegan ingredients we needed. We now source from four different stores in Winnipeg to get everything we need to create our desserts. We decided on being all vegan because we find there is a huge lack of dairy-free and vegan desserts options in Winnipeg. We feel like this group (people that are vegan, lactose intolerant, or have milk and egg allergies) is often ignored, and we want to provide options. Being eco-friendly was not a hard decision to make, we simply followed the trend because we considered it the only way to go. We want our business to reflect our values.
Q: What would do you see for the future of the business?
A: We are currently working a couple options. The dream is to have a vegan café with sweet and savory menu items.
Q: What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned from running the business?
It is a lot of work but rewarding work. We’re learning to balance all the roles you must take on if you are entrepreneur (marketing, finances, baker, promotions).
Q: What is your most popular treat?
A: Our sundaes!
Q: What are your favourites?
A: Muriel: Peanut Butter Cup Sundae
Rahim: Cookies & Cream Monkey Shake
All photos by Claudine Gervais.
Thumbnail photo: co-owners Muriel and Rahim
