Artie Januario’s journey to founding Artie Bars was anything but conventional. When he was laid off from his tech job, he took it as an opportunity to pursue the passion that had been bringing him joy since 2018: baking. Today, Artie Bars uses Bitly QR Codes to connect with customers and build trust for their gourmet millionaire shortbread business.
A long-time fan of The Great British Bake Off, Artie was inspired to try millionaire shortbread after seeing it in a technical challenge. His wife’s reaction to that first batch? “These are amazing, never make them again.” But when he baked the layered bars for a holiday party, they became an instant hit—guests texted for days asking about the “amazing caramel things.” One even put in an order for 40 full size bars as a birthday party favor the next week.
That moment sparked the idea that his sweet hobby could grow into something bigger.
“Dessert is something that brings people happiness, and I get to do that as a job. I’m so lucky.”
Building trust as a bootstrapped small business
Despite the buzz and rapid growth, challenges remained. Millionaire shortbread was still unfamiliar to many Americans, with customers often mistaking it for fudge. Shipping delicate, multi-layer bars across the country, and keeping them intact and the chocolate from melting, presented another hurdle. But the biggest challenge? Building trust as a brand-new business.
“As a small business owner, it’s crucial that our customers trust us. Since we’re new, partnering with Bitly for QR Codes to make sure people can find us on social media and our website has been an enormous help.”
That need became urgent at Dessert Wars Raleigh, the largest dessert festival in the United States. With thousands of attendees sampling dozens of vendors, Artie and Nicole needed a quick way to turn brief booth visits into lasting customer relationships.
Enter Bitly QR Codes. Using Bitly’s free tools, they created QR Codes that let visitors instantly connect with Artie Bars online—through social media, their website, or special promotions. The recognizable Bitly brand gave customers confidence the links were safe, while the simple platform let Nicole and Artie focus on what mattered: sharing their story and getting people to taste their bars.
“Right now, since we’re just starting out, we’re using the Bitly free version, but to know that they’re kind of like our big brother and our guide as we grow our business is something that’s going to make scaling our business so much easier.”
A recipe for growth: sweetening the customer journey
For a small business still running on passion and grit, that trust has been invaluable. The results from using Bitly QR Codes at the event were immediate. Dessert festival-goers scanned the QR Codes by the hundreds, turning a booth visit into an ongoing relationship with the Artie Bars brand.
“We had so many people scan the Bitly QR Code and we knew that they could trust that it wasn’t gonna take them to some junk site. You made today so much easier. We’re huge fans.”
By leveraging Bitly, Artie Bars was able to:
- Engage hundreds of new customers at the festival and beyond.
- Build instant trust for a new brand just entering the market.
- Streamline customer connections, making it effortless for people to follow, engage, and order.
It’s a perfect example of how QR Codes can help small businesses punch above their weight!
Building a business, bar by bar
Artie Bars is proof that even life’s hardest setbacks can lead to the sweetest successes. What started as a layoff turned into a family business spreading joy across the country, one millionaire shortbread at a time. From corporate orders and farmers’ markets to nationwide shipping and viral media features, their brand has already surpassed what they once imagined.
Now, as their customer base and online presence continue to grow, Artie Bars has upgraded from Bitly’s free plan to a paid plan, expanding their monthly short link allocation to up to 500, their dynamic QR Codes allocation to up to 10 per month, and adding up to 10 Bitly Pages to help them create beautiful, mobile-optimized landing pages. For Artie and Nicole, this upgrade represents more than just numbers; it’s the next step in scaling their business with confidence.
Bitly’s flexible plans make it easy for small businesses to grow at their own pace, starting free and then upgrading as demand and opportunity rise. With Bitly as a trusted tool and partner, they can focus on what they love most—creating desserts that delight, one indulgent bar at a time.
Want to kickstart your small business marketing? Get started with Bitly for free and start creating a seamless, trustworthy brand experience that keeps customers coming back for more.
