Submitted photo
Vel Wall, owner of Krispies by Vel, poses with a tray of her gourmet Rice Krispies treats. She started her business in 2022 and now hopes to expand into larger retail markets.

Wall owns Krispies by Vel, a small business that sells homemade gourmet Rice Krispies treats with imaginative flavors she bakes in her home kitchen.

Wall, 32, attended Youngstown Christian School and graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in business in 2021.

“I knew I always wanted to own my own business,” she said, and credited her parents for trusting her “instincts” when she did so.

She said her father had his own business so “he was all for” her starting her own. She added that her “mother helps a lot in the kitchen — wrapping and packaging the Krispies” — and her dad “will put on labels if I’m really stressed to get the order done.”

According to Wall, she got her entrepreneurial start while in middle school.

“My mom packed really big lunches for me so I would pick out what I liked and then sell the rest,” she recalled.

Wall used her sale money to purchase clothes for dress-down days, saying, “I would get my older sisters to take me to the mall. We wore uniforms in school so dress-down Friday was a big deal.”

Though Wall had to stop selling lunch goods to her middle school classmates, she revived the practice in high school. She said she would tell her classmates what she planned to make for lunch — “chili, salads, really good orange chicken.”

Wall then took orders and sold homemade lunches to her classmates.

“It was a good deal; $10 for lunch and that included a really good meal, the container and lid, which went into the microwave,” she explained.

Wall has a background in retail and worked in the service industry while attending YSU.

It was while she was working at a bar in downtown Youngstown that she decided she “wanted to make Krispies by Vel.”

On Jan. 15, 2022, Wall said, “I had a party [at the bar], with a DJ, and officially launched my business.”

She said the treats were a big hit, but she continued working at the bar while she began selling her treats in other venues.

“I did my first farmer’s market in June 2022, and it was so successful, I put in my two-week notice at the bar.”

She now runs her business full-time.

“I grew up watching the Food Network,” Wall, a self-proclaimed foodie, explained. “I loved the idea of cooking and baking unusual things.”

She said, like most people, she loved Rice Krispies treats as a kid. She had her first taste of a flavored treat at a work event and thought, “I can make this.”

The first flavor she baked was a birthday cake Rice Krispies treat. Now, she has over 150 flavors, which she rotates monthly. She said she tries not to repeat flavors and is always “trying new recipes.” Wall keeps the seasons and holidays in mind when introducing flavors. In honor of Mother’s Day, she offers Strawberry Pretzel Salad Krispies — her mother’s favorite flavor. Her father’s favorite candy bar is Payday, so she makes Payday Krispies treats for Father’s Day.

“I make three color Krispies — red, white and blue — for July and I have pumpkin cheesecake Krispies for the Fall,” she said.

She posts her rotating flavor choices on Facebook. She said certain flavors have become extremely popular and adds them to the rotation. Wall said she researches flavor blends and uses her own tastes and experiences to try new flavors.

“If something sounds good to me, I give it a try,” she said.

She said she creates the recipes on her own, when “the idea just comes” to her.

“Nine times out of ten, the first test recipe is a good one and is added to my menu,” she continued.

Wall said every recipe starts from scratch, and “there is no real base recipe.” She said she has learned to adapt recipes to get the best textures and flavors, like heating the treats mixture slowly to keep them soft and chewable.

Wall said she has developed “gluten-friendly” Krispies treat flavors for people with gluten intolerance.

“I use all gluten-free ingredients,” she explained, “including a gluten-free brand” of crispy rice cereal.

Wall enjoys selling her products at craft shows and outdoor markets.

“I love doing the Youngstown Flea and other shows,” she said. “I enjoy meeting the people and talking to them.”

She said talking to customers helps her learn what flavors they would like to see.

“I like hearing how much they like them,” she said, smiling.

Her biggest order was for “400 favors for the ‘Eye Ball of The Valley,’ a special event hosted by Sight for All United organization.” For the event, she baked “birthday cake Rice Krispies treats with custom sprinkles to match their logo.”

She said she takes special orders and only needs “about a two-week lead time,” but can work faster if someone requests treats for a special occasion.

“This is what I was meant to do,” she said.

She encourages each person to find what they like, “and just start. If something is calling you, just do it.” She said she likes that she can be a role model for other women to “follow what they are called to do.”

Wall continued, “I find it exciting to inspire others, and I’m happy that I am able to help them begin reaching for their dreams.”

The future sounds busy for Wall. In addition to increasing internet and direct customer sales, she wants to grow her business “to include a production facility in order to sell the treats in large retail markets.”

Additionally, Wall said, “I am planning to get my master’s degree so I can teach grade school kids; I love kids, and I love teaching.”

Even with her future school plans, she said she intends to keep making and selling gourmet Rice Krispies treats.

“I love it. I love baking. I love people. I don’t want to stop,” she said, smiling.