Hot Oven Cookies: Sharing the Cookie Love with Flavors that Amaze
Springfield, MA - “I started making cookies for my children. In my family, food is love and passion. My Grandparents taught me that the best type of person is a person with heart of service; someone who serves others. So, for us, serving food was a means to show that love and passion,” shared Sheila Coon, Owner of Hot Oven Cookies. “My mom was a self-taught baker who would make two flavors of cookies: chocolate chip and peanut butter. Yet, I never knew who experienced more joy – my mom, baking and selling the cookies or the customers receiving the cookies.”
Sheila highlighted the strength, resilience, and love for cooking and baking she learned from watching her mother. “This is where I learned that we can harness the drive that’s inside of us to make things work. It was powerful to see that if you get stuck, you don’t have to stay there.” And Sheila soon found herself applying these lessons to her own life.
Her story is one that many can likely relate to, having to pivot her dreams to fit her priorities. A teen mom who maintained her plans for law school and a career as a lawyer, Sheila found herself completing her bachelor’s degree with four children under the age of 6. She persevered, and even sat for the LSATs, but decided that she no longer want to become a lawyer and went to culinary school instead. However, after one semester of the Culinary program, Sheila realized that the classes just weren’t for her – she simply loved the cooking, especially making desserts.
Little did she know, these were the beginning moments of an unexpected business. She started out baking 10 varieties of cookies for her kids, starting with the chocolate chip and peanut butter flavors inherited from her mom, and adding oatmeal raisin and other assortments to the mix, but her children wanted more. As her children asked for new flavors, Sheila began to experiment with the addition of Oreos, brownies, and they eventually came up with over 1,000 cookie flavors.
Deciding to take her baking seriously, Sheila tried connecting with a franchise, but was turned down for being “too average”. Despite this challenging experience, this mom of 7 leaned into her drive to “make things work”, and she decided that she would create her own business and one day be able to franchise it to people who have also been labeled “average”.
Holding steadfastly to her faith, Sheila began selling her cookies in 2015, doing cookie deliveries like a pizza delivery service, out of the need for income to care for her family. She quickly realized that while cookie deliveries were going well, business just wasn’t consistent. People wanted to be able to purchase one or two cookies in different flavors in addition to placing larger orders. Trying to find a solution, Sheila unknowingly mapped out her own growth plan, deciding that she would go from cookie deliveries, to a cookie truck, to storefronts, and eventually a cookie kiosk in the airport. She credits connecting with local business accelerator and mentoring programs with helping her to take her vision from idea to reality.
True to her plan, Hot Oven Cookies expanded from deliveries, to a cookie truck, to two storefront locations, with 4 possible additional locations on the horizon. And Sheila continues to “share the cookie love”. With cookie flavors like Blueberry Cheesecake Sugar, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Chip, the very popular Guava Cheesecake, Coquito Snickerdoodle, Boozy Cake Batter Sugar, and more, customers find it tempting to try them all!
Adding to the excitement, New Englanders and travelers passing through will soon have a Hot Oven Cookies kiosk to visit at a major airport, adding to the exposure and visibility of the cookie brand. “As a woman of faith, I love people genuinely. My abuela taught me to feed people – and you just can’t do that properly without love. I’m in awe of the support we’ve received from our customers and the businesses and organizations who have chosen to collaborate with us.”
Looking to the future, Sheila continues to work towards her goal of creating additional micro-shops, and eventually a national franchise, creating opportunities for others to open a business, care for their families, and support their communities. “This is about loving people. The blessings I have are not mine to hoard – they are meant to be given. I intend to give in tangible ways that remind people that they are cared for, and we’re all in this together.”
Be on the lookout for Hot Oven Cookies displayed on the Stand Out Truck™ throughout the Greater Springfield area. Follow and find out the weekly flavors on Facebook and Instagram.
This profile has been developed as part of the brand awareness campaign for Hot Oven Cookies, managed by the team at Stand Out Truck™.
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