Not too long ago, Ian Gaffney and Samantha Abrams were making coconut cookies in Ian’s mom’s kitchen. Ten years later, they have turned their delectable recipe into a nationwide business that stretches beyond just the Ithaca community where they draw their roots.
Emmy’s Organics, the brainchild of co-founders Gaffney and Abrams, is an Ithaca-based, gluten-free, vegan, and organic indulgent treat company. When the two met, Gaffney introduced Abrams to his coconut cookie recipe that he had developed while working for an organic boutique in New York City. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, his diet had been restricted, limiting his options dramatically.
“The stuff that was available I just wasn’t interested in because it really wasn’t that healthy for you,” Gaffney said. “I had my own recipes for my own self.”
The two decided to capitalize on the recipe and test it out on the market.
“We together thought, ‘Wow, there’s nothing available like this on the market,’ and what would it take to put this product in a bag and sell it in stores,” Abrams said.
They began selling their product to select local retailers and at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market, but have since grown to sell their product at 30 retail stores nationwide.
In 2009, the options for gluten-free products were more limited than they are today, which is what helped the success of their business, Abrams said.
“We really started at the right time even though it wasn’t strategic,” Abrams said. “We were just doing it and then it turned out that this gluten-free market was about to boom, so it really was aligned timing.”
According to Statista, in 2013 gluten-free products in conventional stores brought in about 2.29 billion U.S. dollars worldwide. Statista estimates that they will yield 4.6 billion in U.S. dollars by 2020. Additionally, in 2013 the FDA issued its ruling on the definition of gluten-free for product labeling. The ruling set up standards for labeling gluten-free food, which allowed consumers to be more certain that what they were eating qualified as gluten-free.
In addition to the timing of the boom in the market, Abrams said she believes the product has been successful because of the clean ingredients found in its recipe.
Each batch of dough is made of dried or shredded coconut, almond or peanut flower, himalayan salt, vanilla extract, and agave or coconut sugar. From there, each batch is crafted into a specific flavor by adding the flavored ingredients, which are all organic, gluten-free and non-GMO, Abrams said.
“This is a recipe that not only super healthy people could appreciate, but anybody could and it could be this surprise that it’s so simple and clean,” Abrams said.
Emmy’s recently expanded its product line to include chocolate covered bites – the same coconut cookies they began with, but now dipped in chocolate. The product was released in March and is available in both Mint and Peanut Butter.
Emily Horowitz, social media and marketing assistant for Emmy’s, said she saw consumers naturally covering this product in chocolate on the social media platforms which she monitors. This inspired the team to create a product similar to products like Almond Joys or Mound Bars, but with a clean approach.
“A lot of people were already doing it so we were like ‘Give the people what they want,’” Horowitz said.
Looking ahead to the future, Gaffney said his goal is to keep offering as many opportunities as they can to employees. The company recently began offering health benefits to employees and within the past year, has become a certified living wage employer.
Having their company based in Ithaca is rewarding, Gaffney said. As a native Ithacan, he said he loves the community, and plans on staying here.
