Chocolate—a delicacy rich in history, versatility, and comfort, has the power to conjure up stories from our past while creating new ones. On Whidbey Island, you don’t have to look too far for a treat, finding it in the vibrant yellow and orange grotto that is Sweet Mona’s Chocolates.

Walking into Sweet Mona’s, you are immediately greeted with the warm, welcoming smells of chocolate perfection. Suddenly, it’s as if your heart feels lighter as you take in every surface covered in delicious confections—from hard candies to gooey caramels. No matter your taste, there is something to soothe every soul coming through the door. But to really appreciate Sweet Mona’s, you should start where all good stories do, at the beginning. 

“I was like a deer in the headlights. I really didn’t even know how to spell truffle.”

Ramona “Mona” Newbauer’s once upon a time began when her eldest son, Phillip, went to the local bakery and announced that his mom wanted to make chocolate truffles for them. Except, as Mona is quick to point out, she had never mentioned wanting to make truffles for the local bakery. “I was like a deer in the headlights. I really didn’t even know how to spell truffle,” recalled Mona, laughing as she remembered the shock and confusion she felt when Phillip told her what he’d done. “But I’ve always been one to think that if an opportunity knocks, you should walk [into] the room. You don’t have to stay, but you have to give it a try.” 

Immediately, the very idea of a chocolate venture united Mona’s family. Her husband went in search of a chocolate supplier. Eventually, his search led to a gentleman named John, a sales representative for a local gourmet food supplier. However, John wouldn’t meet Mona at her home where she was currently operating out of her kitchen. Instead, they agreed to meet in a comically unorthodox place. “He pulled up off the highway, off the exit ramp, and I pulled up behind him. He popped his trunk and I popped my wallet,” said Mona with a grin. 

From there, what started as a short and sweet story of supplying a few truffles to a local bakery, quickly became an epic adventure for the new chocolate entrepreneur. After sampling Mona’s truffles, another local business owner asked if Mona could also supply them in her shop. Like a match struck, chocolate was the new flame lighting Mona’s path. 

Even while pursuing this tasty endeavor, Mona continued to work full-time at her desk job and began attending the Ecole Chocolat online school. She realized right away she would need a commercial kitchen and rented space in Langley from John Auburn, the former owner of JW Desserts and winner of the Ultimate Cake Off. Auburn was never shy about offering Mona a helping hand when she needed one. “I would be working in the kitchen, I would be doing something totally stupid, and he would pat me on the back and say, ‘you wanna know how to do that?’” 

From bakery boxes to the Bayview market, Mona found her first big success selling $1,000 in confections at the Christmas market. After a few years at the market, she realized she needed to find a place to call her own. She launched her business as a brick-and-mortar retail store in Langley under the name 1 Angel Place, Chocolate Bar on February 17, 2006. “I honestly, adamantly, did not want my name in it. I did not want to name it after myself. I realized the name I chose just didn’t work, so I asked the community. I put it out on Facebook, and Jenn at Prima Bistro said ‘you just need to call it Sweet Mona’s,’” Mona recalled. “I gave in and the rest is history.”

But the Sweet Mona’s journey doesn’t end with chocolate. In fact, Mona has worked to hone her business model throughout the process, being open to new ways to generate a following and stay relevant. Sweet Mona’s has gone through a few different iterations over the years, from offering a build-your-own drinkable chocolate bar to a cafe providing breakfast. Eventually, Mona found the perfect combination, offering gelato, espresso, and chocolate to her loyal fans and sweet-toothed visitors.

And, as with all good stories, Mona’s journey has included a few serendipitous chance encounters that have altered her trajectory. Or, in Mona’s case, have taken her confections across Puget Sound to the mainland. In 2015, Mona’s youngest son, Mathew, while working in the shop, told a visitor that Sweet Mona’s makes the best caramels in the world. This woman turned out to be the owner of Seattle Chocolates, Jean Thompson. After tasting Sweet Mona’s caramels, Mona was asked to become a supplier. To this day, you can still find Sweet Mona’s caramels being sold by Seattle Chocolates, now known as Maeve, at their warehouse store and at the Seattle Airport.

So, as Mona continues to discover the treats along her chocolate journey, she invites you to come find your perfect confection and be part of the story. You can visit Sweet Mona’s in Langley, online at sweetmonas.com, or through the Whidbey Island Grown Cooperative Food Hub. During the 2025 holiday season, you can also find Sweet Mona’s featured in the 2025 Pacific Advent Calendar through Delicious Food Delivered online at deliciousfooddelivered.com.