They are native Phoenicians who met in a Madison School District kindergarten classroom and stayed best buddies through high school, college, and adulthood.
So it makes sense that when Eileen Joy Spitalny and David Kravetz were seeking new careers, they took their friendship from personal to professional.
“We were frustrated about the same time. It seems like this corporate route is not our passion,” Spitalny says of their discussions more than 30 years ago, recalling that they said, “Maybe we should start our own company…”
Their blockbuster Fairytale Brownies empire is the result of that conversation.
What started as baking brownies out of a friend’s catering kitchen in Old Town Scottsdale in 1992, has become a full-fledged fudgey confection operation that churns out 12 brownie varieties, two sugar-free renditions, four blondie flavors, and six cookie varieties in their own standalone baking, packaging, and shipping space. About seven million brownies are baked here each year.
It all started with a family recipe.
When Spitalny and Kravetz were growing up, Kravetz’s mother made brownies from scratch for them as an after-school treat. When the pair was contemplating their business model, they chose that brownie as its core.
She gave them her recipe for free. They changed the formula slightly, using Belgian chocolate as the centerpiece.
At first, they sold the brownies to coffee shops. They then took them to farmers’ markets and street fairs.
Spitalny cashed in her 401(k), and neither she nor Kravetz took a paycheck. They paid Spitalny’s then-boyfriend and now-husband, Michael Spitalny, minimum wage as Fairytale’s first baker.
“That was the only way he’d get to see me,” she says, laughing.
Soon, out-of-state customers wanted the brownies shipped, which sparked direct sales. They were able to finally pay themselves, and when the company broke the seven-figure sales mark, the a-ha moment of what they had created hit.
Approaching the corporate clientele propelled the company even further, as what had become the company’s signature wrapping became adorned with customized logos and arranged in gift boxes that were shipped to happy and grateful recipients.
The success has also allowed them to give back. For more than 20 years, Fairytale has worked with KABOOM!, a nonprofit that helps communities and schools build playgrounds for children. In honor of Fairytale’s 30th anniversary, it raised the funds to build a playground at Loma Linda School in central Phoenix.
Fairytale had been one of the first online food mail businesses, and over the decades, Spitalny and Kravetz’s industry acumen and the public’s increased education and interest in chocolate and artisan goods dovetailed. And as the pandemic forced people into their homes and seeking comfort in whatever ways they could without leaving, Fairytale came through.
Today, individual customers can even go to the website and upload a logo, photo, or image of their choosing to be used on their packaging. Often, those orders can be shipped the same day.
Any recipient who’s experienced an issue with their brownie box is immediately sent a new box with no questions asked, with everything taken care of. Much detail is paid to every step, from the wrapping to the topping-to-brownie base proportion to the care from the in-house customer service team.
This extra attention is another way that sets Fairytale apart from the new slew of competitors.
“We are not the least expensive, but the quality and experience we strive for are top-notch every step of the way. In the end, you can tell this story to your friends … that helps set us apart,” Spitalny says.