“Where do the souls of cookies go when they pass away?”

I know you’re wondering where this question is going, but stay with me for a minute. I reflected on this thought as I stood in line at Cookie Good in Santa Monica. If the souls of good people go to heaven when they die, then there has to be a food heaven right? Looking at the white walls of the quaint shop and smelling the luscious scent of baked goods that wafted from the kitchen, I knew this had to be heaven for cookies. In the unfortunate, yet delicious, moment when cookies get eaten and their cookie souls go to cookie heaven, they really float over to Cookie Good in Santa Monica.

I don’t blame them, I would too.

In no way am I calling the shop’s owners Ross and Melanie, gods. However, if there were a legitimate cookie god position it would be theirs. I met with the shop owners not to long ago to sample a few of their items and take a gander around the location. Leaving my car and heading to the shop the first thing I noticed was they had their own metered spot. A quiet laugh escaped my lips as I walked past the cute painted curb. Stepping inside the space I loved the well-thought out color scheme. It was clear that they had their branding set the moment they opened shop and wanted that known. The white, burgundy, sky blue, and hints of slate were consistent and I appreciated that. On one side of the shop was the Cookie Good menu followed by an assembly of boxes, while another side held their merchandise. T-Shirts and Cookie Corn ($6) were displayed for grabbing, purchasing, and giving to a friend. Or yourself, it’s really up to you.

Before the cookies enthralled me, Melanie came from behind the counter and greeted me. She and her husband Ross were gracious enough to let me steal them away from their busy Saturday afternoon for a quick interview and tour of their location. As they took me to their office space next to their kitchen, I excitedly scanned the area like a child. I got to see employees prepping dough and baking cookies; essentially turning my dreams into edible realities. A few steps from the stoves and the mixers the three of us sat in their office and they told me about how Cookie Good became what it was today.

As they smiled and began to tell their story, my mind started to play music as if I were traveling back in time.

Ross and Melanie don’t have the traditional startup story. Instead, Cookie Good was a business idea that came to them out of desperation. Growing up, Ross baked frequently and played around with creative baking concepts. He made mistakes along the way, but improved with practice. As he got older and into the workforce, his baking never let up. Surprisingly, the more he baked the more he realized he wanted to create his own cookies. During this time, Ross was a screenwriter and Melanie was the Chief House Operator taking care of their son and daughter while Ross was at work. Things ran relatively smoothly until the 2007 – 2008 Writers Guild of America strike. The decrease in income from Ross’ job forced the couple to come up with a different source of income. Melanie suggested they bake and sell cookies.

This is when I fell in love with their fearlessness and their story.

With their backs against a wall, they decided to take a risk and turn a hobby into a business. It wasn’t easy, but the two found that with hard work it was lucrative. They started small and decided to grow as organically and strategically as possible. They taught themselves how to make, market, and ship their own cookies and they focused on learning as much as they could about running a business early on. Since they didn’t have the resources to promote their business aggressively, they found many of their customers came in in thanks to the best type of advertising a business owner could ask for: word of mouth. It didn’t take long for them to feel a sense of liberation and independence through selling a box of cookies.

The process of making their Cookies ($1.95 each) is labor intensive, yet simple. They scoop and weigh the dough by hand, shape it, bake it, and serve them continuously throughout the day. By morning, they sell about 800 cookies and will end the day selling close to 1,600 cookies. With the holidays being peak season for gifts, they can sell 4,000 by the start of the afternoon. Saying their cookies are in demand is clearly an understatement.

As time and hard work continued they took their home business to a kitchen and then to their current building, two years ago. In the space they have today, the couple creates a variety of cookies they love, not those that sound popular. Their cookies are based on retro flavors and each has a modern twist. You can see that in the Apple Jacks, Cap’n Crunch, Cookie Monster, and the Smores. Not to be forgotten, they include unique creations such as Birthday Cake, Cheetos, Caramel-Pretzel-Chocolate Chunk, Red Velvet, and Snickers. Trying a few of the cookies myself, there was a unanimous theme to them all. They were incredibly fresh, warm, soft, and delicious. They don’t feel heavy and they don’t taste overdone. While each has a unique flavor, it’s impossible to deny that they all are made with heart and care. It’s as if you taste the years of their hard work in each bite, which you can’t find anywhere else.

After spending time in Cookie Good, it’s clear that this is where the souls of fallen cookies go. Not to be excluded, humans frequent the shop to get a piece of heaven too. From Cookie Milk, Cookie Corn, and to the deliciously made cookies Ross and Melanie are clearly cookie gods amongst us here in Los Angeles. I can honestly say that if I didn’t love Jesus Christ with my whole heart, I would bow down to your skills, determination, and friendliness. But I can’t because that would be blasphemy. Instead, just know that you are two wonderful business owners with an amazing product that I can’t wait to have again.

Follow Them.
Address: 2448 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Phone: (424) 280-4100
Hours: Monday through Friday – 11:00am to 6:00pm, Satuday 11:00am to 5:00pm, and Closed Sunday
Social: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.