72 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • FEBRUARY 5, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Couple creates ‘nerdy’ treats at LIC’s Entrepreneur Space BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com @aaltamirano28 One East Elmhurst couple is using their love for all things “geeky” and “nerdy” to create delicious ONSITE DOCTORS • EYE EXAMS • CONTACTS • 1 HOUR SERVICE • VISION PLANS ACCEPTED • SUNGLASSES • LOWEST PRICES 2 PAIR OF EYEGLASSES QC QC QC $99 Includes: EYE EXAM, Frames & Lenses Select frames with clear plastic, single vision lenses+/- 4 sph., 2 cyl. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Offer ends: 2/28/15 NO-LINE BIFOCAL EYEGLASSES $99 Includes: EYE EXAM, No-Line Bifocal Lenses & Frame Select frame with select clear plastic no-line bifocal lenses +/- 4 sph., 2 cyl up to 2.50 add. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Offer ends: 2/28/15 buzz treats for every occasion. Hannah Maldonado and Matthew McNamee met in 2012 and felt an instant connection with their interest in comic books and video games. One day they decided to drive around looking for “something nerdy to snack on” and couldn’t fi nd anything they could get enthusiastic about. “I’ve never had a tolerance for normal. I’ve always been the black sheep of my family,” Maldonado said. “When Matthew and I met, our friendship was based on all the nerdy things we liked.” Not fi nding what they were looking for sparked the idea to start a business in which Maldonado, who studied pastry arts and was not content in working at other bakeries, would create her own treats. McNamee, an aircraft mechanic for Jet Blue Airways, would be in charge of any construction. The idea then transformed into the 8 Bit Bakeshop, which at fi rst started out of their house. The name refers to the beginning of video games and the products sold are inspired by video games and comic books, such as Super Mario, Pokémon, Deadpool, and others. In 2013 they started to test their product at New York Comic Con to see if people would be interested. To their surprise they were met with thousands of people congratulating their work. “Oddly enough the fan base is there and it is a lot bigger than we thought it would be,” Maldonado said. “It just makes me feel so good because it’s a niche that is so untapped. It’s great with the old crowds and it’s great to see young people into it, too.” Now, working out of the business incubator Entrepreneur Space in Long Island City, the 8 Bit Bakeshop is known for its sugar cookies, individually decorated by Maldonado and a team BAY TERRACE SHOPPING CENTER 211-51 26 AVENUE • BAYSIDE, NY 11360 718.631.3699 *FREE with the purchase of glasses. Contact Lens Exam and EYE EXAM tting add’l. *See store for details. QC FLEX SPENDING Use it or lose it! DISPOSABLE CONTACTS $99 Includes: •EYE EXAM •2 Boxes of Lenses Contact Lens Fitting additional. Clear Soft contacts brand clear spherical lenses.Not Valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer ends: 2/28/15 DESIGNER SUNGLASSES st STARTING AT $99 QC of the 2013 THE QUEENS QueensCourier.com Place Some Restrictions Apply. See Store For Details. In Stock Items Only. Not Valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer expires: 2/28/15 WINTER SAVINGS of volunteers, cupcakes and a line of fudge and cakes in various fl avors. They also create alcoholinfused pastries and huge sugar cookies, which are covered in icing to resemble comic book covers or pages. They also feature a line of treats called “Little Luna,” named after the couple’s Type 1 diabetic daughter, which includes diabetic friendly, vegan and vegetarian versions of their products. They are in the process of trying to create kosher and gluten-free items as well. “We just want to add more love, and who doesn’t love food? And we want to make sure we don’t exclude anyone,” Maldonado added. Along with being creative in the kitchen, one thing that makes the team of the 8 Bit Bakeshop stand out is that when they hit conventions, like New York Comic Con, they show up as personalities from video games and comic books as a form of cosplay. “We want to sell the experience, not just the product,” Maldonado said. “We like to take away the counter. So when you see us selling stuff, you almost never see us behind the table.” Maldonado said that there are plans in the future to open a store, but they fi rst want to spread the word of the 8 Bit Bakeshop by traveling around the country and setting up booths at conventions. They are also in the process of creating a “nerdy food box” subscription service called Byte, in which people from across the country would subscribe and be sent a box full of treats from the 8 Bit Bakeshop. They plan to beta test the product this summer. “The best part is that Matthew and I love this,” Maldonado said. “We’re not solely in this for the money, it’s something that we enjoy. We take this as an art form, more than an actual bakery.” For more information visit www.8bitbakeshop.com or www. facebook.com/8bitbakeshop. To place an order email 8bitbakeshop@ gmail.com. Photos courtesy of 8 Bit Bakeshop
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