Bright Snacks, bright future for Rockwall-Heath senior

(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – March 18, 2016) Suen Hee Kim might not seem like a typical entrepreneur at first glance. When she isn’t marketing or packaging her homemade line of granola bars, she has a second job: going to class.

A senior at Rockwall Heath High School, Suen Hee (pronounced “Sunny”) said she has always been interested in a healthier lifestyle.

“I got really into health about two years ago,” Suen Hee said. “I became a vegan, but it was really hard for me to find healthy, quality snacks at stores.”

Suen Hee said her solution to this predicament was to create nutritious and delicious snacks of her own. She learned how to make all-natural granola bars from scratch, and pretty soon she realized she was not the only one who would enjoy them.

“I made them for my family at home for about a year, and then my uncle suggested I could sell them,” Suen Hee said. “I started refining my recipe. I spent about a month finding one that was really solid.”

After perfecting her formula, Suen Hee and her family traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to visit a packaging expo. Suen Hee said they learned a lot from the various vendors about how to design a unique packaging brand. She found a company online to create her packaging labels and materials, and then set to work producing her granola bars with her family from home. Suen Hee said she is appreciative of her family for their help with this labor-intensive process.

“If I did this all by myself it wouldn’t be possible,” Suen Hee said. “I really love them and I am thankful for them.”

Suen Hee said her ultimate goal is to find a co-packer to mass-produce her bars by sending her recipe and instructions to a factory. Since this process is expensive, she will have to sell plenty of granola on her own before she can make this dream a reality.

Suen Hee began selling her products, which she decided to name Bright Snacks, this past November. Currently Suen Hee ‘sgranola bars are for sale at Juice It Up in Rockwall, but she has her sights set on selling at other health-conscious establishments such as 24-Hour Fitness, Smoothie King, The Rise and many more.

Currently there are four flavors of Bright Snacks granola bars: Blueberry Bliss, Cranberry Cashew, Chocolate Pecan and Cinnamon Almond. Suen Hee says she plans to create more flavors and other types of healthy snacks once her business has a chance to grow. The next project on her agenda is vegan cookies.

“I love food, so I plan on making more new things,” Suen Hee said. “It’s really fun being in the kitchen and trying out different recipes. I feel like it brings out my creative side.”

Suen Hee created her own website at brightsnacks.com where the bars are also available for purchase. She offers free delivery with no shipping fee to Rockwall residents. She plans on selling her snacks at the Farmers Market and the Aspasians Fair this Spring.

By Julie Anne White, Blue Ribbon News reporter.
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