Baking hobby turned business
Connie Rosendahl never thought a beloved hobby of hers would turn into a successful local business. She and her daughters just wanted to make sure her husband would have some cookies to munch on when he went to work at the post office.
After some encouragement from his co-workers, she decided to give her daughters a way to interact with people in a professional manner. Rosendahl rented a booth at the farmers market and started preparing for their first day as Sisters’ Cookie Company. In reality, she said she did not expect to sell much.
Amelia C. Warden | Rawr
Kathryn Church (right) and Connie Rosendahl (left) discuss preparations for upcoming Valentine’s Day orders. Kathryn Church owns her own floral design company called Kathryn Church Designs and Connie Rosendahl is the owner of Sisters Cookie Company.
“We baked a whopping 10 dozen cookies thinking, ‘Wow, what are we going to do with all the left overs?’ We sold out by 10 in the morning,” Rosendahl said.
At the end of three weeks, there was a line waiting at their booth before she and her daughters even arrived. A few more summers of selling cookies and Rosendahl’s husband retired and she started baking to support the family. By this time, she had gained many loyal customers in the Moscow area and was providing goods to local coffee shops, graduations and weddings.
Rosendahl has since worked hard to make sure her cookies not only tasted delicious, but would also appeal to everyone. With close to 30 kinds of cookies, such as Triple Chocolate Oatmeal and Molasses Ginger, anyone looking to purchase will find a favorite, she said. Rosendahl’s cookies have been well received by those with gluten and dairy-free diets.
“At the market, out of every four ladies that would come to our booth, one of them would be gluten free,” she said. “Being a registered nurse, I am very sympathetic to that.”
This will be the fifth year Sisters’ Cookie Company has been in business, but this upcoming Valentine’s Day will mark the third time Rosendahl will pair up with her friend Kathryn Church of Kathryn Church Designs. By combining her cookies with Church’s floral arrangements, Rosendahl believes they will provide a Valentine’s Day gift everyone would want.
“When you think of Valentines gifts, you often think of flowers in general,” Rosendahl said. “But you also think of gifts that include chocolate. Valentine’s Day candy is also a very prevalent gifting item.”
Not wanting to put in just candy, Church asked Rosendahl if she could include her cookies with her flowers, she said.
“The first year we did it, it was really well received,” Rosendahl said. “And this is our third year, so it’s busy.”
While Valentine’s Day may not be the busiest part of the year for Sisters’ Cookie Company, Rosendahl said it is more hectic because all of the orders are due at the same time and she has a limited window of time to complete them.
“The volume is much greater for Christmas than it is for Valentine’s, but the layout and the anticipation for the one day makes it more stressful,” Rosendahl said.
After the baking is done, she and Church put together all of their orders and work on the pre-delivery organization, Rosendahl said she will then team up to deliver the orders. This, she said, is one of her favorite parts of the partnership.
Amelia C. Warden | Rawr
Kathryn Church prepares a few flowers for a Valentines Day floral arrangement.
“I must say, it’s a job I’ve always wanted to have,” Rosendahl said.
Though the planning and organization of the delivery routes may leave Rosendahl stressed out, she always likes to see the joy of a recipient, especially when they have no idea they would receive anything. One recipient’s action in particular, upon receiving a delivery has since remained Rosendahl’s favorite.
“Their response was so overwhelming, they cried at the door,” she said.
Often times, despite Rosendahl’s best wishes, she will have impersonal deliveries. This happens mainly when delivering on campus and to businesses, she said.
“When you go to a sorority or a fraternity, you’re just giving it to the person who’s at the door,” Rosendahl said.
Rosendahl’s said someone who works in flower delivery must always work on their presentation. They must be cheery and just as excited as the recipient to deliver the gift. Despite the stress and hassle of the season, Rosendahl said she has enjoyed her time working on Sisters’ Cookie Company and hopes to see more success in the years come.
Aly Soto can be reached at [email protected]