Today we’d like to introduce you to Theresa Rubio.
Hi Theresa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Charlotte Thompson (aka Grandma) started a clothing business back in the early 70’s on Main Street in St.
Charles, Missouri. She had her dress shop called Grandma’s Folly downstairs and she lived upstairs. She made dresses for women and children. Grandma would make cookies and gave them away free to the little kids that came in with their parents to shop for dresses. She thought that giving the kids cookies would keep them occupied while their parents shopped. But grandma realized the parents would whisper into their childrens ear to grab a couple of cookies. One for the kids and one for the parents. Grandma didn’t mind but thought that she would charge 25 cents a cookie and just kept a box on the counter for the money and you would just pay by the honor system. One day she realized that she was making more money selling the cookies than she was selling dresses. She started Grandma’s Cookie and made a variety of cookies and sold them out of her kitchen window that was located on the side of the building. After some time of selling cookies out of the window she decided to open up a bigger space in the building and made it more into what the cookie shop looks like today. Grandma didn’t bake all day like we do today but she baked what she wanted and when she sold out then she would close. My mother also had a shop on Main Street and I would go down to the cookie shop daily to bug Grandma and to grab a cookie before running up and down the street to play. Once I hit 10 years old I started to work at the cookie shop. That’s when life with the cookie shop started for me. I officially took over the cookie shop in 2004 and have been trying to keep grandma’s dream alive. I think of her everyday, hoping she is looking down on us from heaven and is happy with everything that the cookie shop has become since she started the business 50 years ago!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I really can’t complain about how business has been. I think we are truly blessed that we have such a successful business for 50 years now. Even if things were ever hard and not easy, I don’t think that I ever focused on the bad of anything. I can always find the positive in every situation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My name is Theresa Rubio and I am the owner of Grandma’s Cookies. I do everything for the business. I mix and bake the cookies, make the schedule, order the ingredients, do most of the paper work (I have since hired a CPA to do a lot of things for us), my list goes on and on. Grandma’s Cookies is known for making cookies with love. We have been named the Best Cookie Shop in America by USA Today for 2 years in a row. Currently going for our 3rd win! I have so many things that I’m proud of. We have the best customers, many that have become family. We have amazing cookies. My whole family is involved with the business in one way or another. The cookie shop brings so much happiness to me and to many of our customers.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We work closely with STL Bucketlist and they create and schedule many of our collaborations with people. One important way to support us is to come and visit us. We always love to meet new people!
Pricing:
- 1.49 cookie/each
- $14.99 a dozen
Contact Info:
- Website: https://grandmascookiesonmain.com
