Using pure ingredients and plenty of passion, Queen City Cookies owner Peggy Shannon continues to build a sweet and savory empire, one gorgeous bite at a time. From specialty cookie sales in local shops to her own storefront in Findlay Market, Shannon continues to expand her reach. Now her cookies are available at Whole Foods in Rookwood and online through Sur la Table, with more outlets on the way.
In just eight days, Shannon took an abandoned building in Over-the-Rhine – a building stripped of every inch of pipe and unused for a year – and created a new
Findlay Market shop where more customers than ever can discover her delectable cookie creations.
"People appreciate the quality and the great dedication we put into each cookie," says Shannon, who continues to build her business with a single purpose—to share her joy and love of beautiful, delicious treats. "I really believe in pure ingredients and taking time to do everything right...from the product to the packaging."
The former marketing director for the
Contemporary Arts Center remembers the advice she got while working as a marketing manager for Whole Foods. “You can do anything you set your mind to,” she says. “Make a plan and execute the plan.”
The Rookwood Whole Foods location currently sells each flavor of the Pachyderm Packs (blueberry maple, Chocolate Chipolte, Pure Sass and Sesame Sunsation). Sur La Table online now offers five different Queen City Cookie collections. On top of the growing availability and popularity of the cookies, the CincinnatiUSA Regional Chamber named Shannon's company one of the businesses to watch this year.
In addition to cookies, Shannon has developed a following for her own recipe of schnecken, of the “gooey delicious” variety. Shannon's latest creative experiments? New schnecken flavors. . . think cranberry orange, aproicot and apple.
By Elissa Yancey
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