The Cookies Next Door
A story of Sara, the baker and owner of Cookiez by Sara
One day, I was browsing Google Maps and Cookiez by Sara caught my eyes. Curious about freshly baked cookies, I placed an order for a dozen. That evening, we followed the pick-up instructions and arrived at a house. A man sitting in the open garage waved at us. And that was the first time we met the cookie owners next door.
Sara and her husband recently opened a home-based business Cookiez by Sara. Sara is the baking master, who often has new ideas for cookies. Her husband is the technology guru behind the scene, primarily managing their online store.
How did you get started with Cookiez by Sara?
I come from a family that loves baking. My husband and I decided to open an online bakery after COVID took place. As we did not have prior experience of running a store, we were curious about what would happen and decided to go with the flow.
At the time when we started, there was no cookie store in the neighborhood. We wanted to bring something new to the neighborhood. And Cookiez by Sara was born.
How did you come up with the name Cookiez?
I wanted to keep the name straightforward and appealing, so people could get the meaning and remember it. My son’s name is Zayn, which gave me the idea of replacing the “s” in cookies with “z” as cookiez.
How did you come up with the cookie menu?
Some cookie flavors are related to my upbringing. I grew up with snickerdoodle cookies. It is nostalgic for me. I borrow my family recipe of chocolate chip cookies that everyone likes.
Personally, I am a big fan of Oreo cookies. When I was thinking about the bakery menu, I wanted to design a flavor with the ingredient I love. So I mixed Oreo and cookie dough to develop the cookies’n cream flavor.
Nutella peanut butter swirl cookies were created by accident. One time I put peanut butter into the cookie dough by mistake. But the outcome was surprisingly good. Now the Nutella peanut butter swirl becomes my mother’s favorite flavor.
Besides the above main flavors, I always like to experiment with new flavors and put the new ones as seasonal cookies. Recently, I added a new item to the menu, chocolate chip cookies with sprinkles on top.
What did you learn from having your own business?
At the very beginning, I was doing research on the Internet. I found out that I needed to get a Cottage Kitchen Permit to run a home-based business in California. I applied for one and obtained it from the County of San Mateo.
As a working mother, it was challenging to balance work and family. I learned to structure day-to-day activities that work best for me, the business, and my family. Now I keep my day clear for the cookie business and take care of my children in the late afternoon and evening.
I spend a lot of time developing cookie recipes. To make sure the right consistency, I try multiple times until I identify the right recipe and produce consistent texture and flavor. I also reach out to customers to learn their needs. Recently, there has been an increasing amount of requests on keto-friendly and gluten-free cookies. I am considering those cookies and exploring recipes to perfect my own.
What is it like to have your own business?
It allows me to have flexible hours, although it could be challenging sometimes. I like to start my day by making cookie dough early in the morning, because the dough needs to chill in the fridge before it is ready to use. Then I move onto learning new things or relaxing. I start to bake cookies around 10:00 am and take new orders. But I make sure that I have time with my family in the late afternoon. Every week, I take one day off from cookies and focus on personal growth. That has been working pretty well for me and keeps my life balanced.
By teaming up with my husband, I do not need to worry too much about the technology. My husband has fun managing the online store on Facebook, Instagram, and our own website. He also helps deliver cookies in local areas.
What is the most rewarding experience for having your own bakery?
I am motivated and excited when customers like my cookies. One time, a lady ordered a dozen cookies for her family event. Because of the cookie smell, she could not help but try one from each flavor before the event. Hearing her story made me happy.
