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Expires 12/31/16
38 November 17 • 2016
Local
Biz Goes
National
Cooper Street Cookies are
now in Sam’s Clubs across the country.
Judy Greenwald | Contributing Writer
S
tart with an old family recipe,
add in a dedicated mother and
two sons, mix well with a hard-
working team of employees from JVS,
and the result will be a company whose
delicious baked goods are now one of the
newer products featured at Sam’s Club.
Cooper Street
Cookies began
operations in
2011 as a home-
based business by
native Detroiters
Elaine Surnow
and her sons,
Sam, 30, and
Max, 27. It now
produces eight
different varieties
Company founders
of cookies.
Max, Elaine and
According to
Sam Surnow
Max, co-founder
and CEO, the
company is
poised for a bright future.
“We started with my great-grand-
mother’s recipe, and everyone really
loved the cookies,” he said. “We wanted
to make a delicious and nutritious treat
using real ingredients, and my mom dis-
covered the right combination of sweet-
ness, crunch and goodness that made
our recipe a success.”
The young businessman, a graduate
of Michigan State University and 2014
recipient of the JVS Rising Entrepreneur
Award, noted that the company name
came from a street in Colorado where
his family rented a vacation house.
“My mom would bake her cookies
there, and friends and family would
always gather around for a taste. We
were actually in Colorado, having coffee
and eating the cookies, when we thought
of the idea to start the business.”
Surnow said the Detroit business
scene has been instrumental in the com-
pany’s success. Even more so has been
the partnership his family has devel-
oped with JVS’ Supported Employment
Program, resulting in the creation of
fulfilling job opportunities for many
special-needs individuals to help with
the day-to-day operations of the bakery.
“We’ve been very involved with JVS,
pretty much since the start of the com-
pany and are very committed to giving
back to the community,” he said. “There
are so many positives about working
with JVS. Everyone needs a job, and this
is a perfect opportunity for those with
special needs to get a real job on their
own. All the JVS employees are so enthu-
siastic about working at the company.
You can really say the cookies are baked
with love.”
Surnow said the food business is
challenging, and it took some dedicated
effort to get his products into local stores
as well as a nationwide retailer.
“We got into Sam’s Club by really
pounding the pavement,” he said. “My
mom and I started off doing weekend
road shows at their locations all around
Michigan — places like Southgate,
Lansing, Grand Rapids and Traverse
City. People really loved the cookies and
Sam’s gave us the chance to sell locally as
an everyday item.
“We recently changed our packaging
and our logo and made minor improve-
ments to the recipe. When we presented
the cookies to the Sam’s Club buyer, she
loved them so much she decided to try
them out in all 632 Sam’s Clubs across
the country. We’re very excited for the
future growth of the brand!”
And what does Surnow see as the
best part of watching his family business
develop and thrive?
“A very rewarding part of this business
is constantly hearing from customers —
on social media or through emails and
phone calls — who have discovered our
products and are happy to find some-
thing they can feel good about eating.”
Cooper Street Cookies’ flavors include
Cinnamon Chocolate Chip, Keylime
Coconut, Lemon Poppyseed, Oatmeal
Raisin, Orange Cranberry and White
Chocolate Michigan Cherry, and are cer-
tified kosher by Kosher Michigan.
In addition to Sam’s Club, the cookies
can also be found at Detroit-area stores
including Kroger, Westborn Market,
Whole Foods, Holiday Market, Nino
Salvaggio and Plum Market. Cooper
Street Cookies also offers its products
and gift baskets online. Find them at
www.cooperstreetcookies.com.
*