Deb Tuggle, President of Bite Me Inc., has spread cookie love since 1995. Since acquiring Bite Me Inc. in 2004, Deb’s business acumen and passion for baking have grown Bite Me Cookies into a company that produces between 14,000 and 17,000 cookies an hour!

The Bite Me Cookies Story

Deb's journey began in college when she was a single parent studying to be a court stenographer. In 1999, she started her own small business, Friday's Cookies. She baked cookies on Fridays and sold them to her classmates to make ends meet. A few years later, she connected with another cookie company, Bite Me Inc., and eventually acquired their business in 2004. 

Building a Team and Impacting the Community

One of Deb's strengths is her ability to bring people together. She has built a strong team at Bite Me Cookies and is proud of her business's impact on the community. "The folks that work here are so fantastic... They make my life easy, and I appreciate that." Deb and Bite Me’s cookies' commitment ot uplifting the community can be seen in their intentional hiring. Bite Me Cookies focuses on hiring refugees and providing them opportunities to learn English and gain valuable skills. "Part of our business model is, how do we impact the community just one person at a time? And our focus is refugees."

Funding and Grants

Like many businesses, Bite Me Cookies has faced challenges, particularly with the high cost of goods and labor. However, Deb has been resourceful in finding funding to support her business.

Recently, Bite Me Cookies received a grant benefited from a grant from the Economic Security for All Initiative funded by the Community Reinvestment Project grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce. During one of the year's busiest seasons, Bite Me had an oven go down. The grant allowed Deb to purchase a new oven, after her which was a game-changer for her business.

"It was a complete game changer. So without that, we would have been in trouble."

Hopes for the Future

Deb's passion for baking and her commitment to her community are evident in everything she does. She is truly spreading the sweetest joy, one cookie at a time. Deb is proud of her accomplishments with Bite Me Cookies and is excited about the future. She hopes that one day her business will be acquired by someone who can take it to even greater heights.

"I believe we've grown this business, and we have a beautiful foundation, but the fact is, I know someone could even grow it even larger, and I'm okay with that."