Remember when you were growing up and wanted to eat the cookie dough rather than waiting for it to bake? Your mom might have nixed that because of raw eggs possibly contaminated with salmonella.
But they have solved that problem at the Dough Stop in Pine Mountain Village. Their raw cookie dough doesn’t contain eggs, so it’s safe to eat in the raw. The Dough Stop, which opened last July, is owned by Wendy Withington and her mother, Sandy Cone, who live in Huntsville.
“Eureka has always been a favorite spot because we enjoy the beauty of the town and the people. We thought it was the best place for opening a business,” Withington said.
They make their cookie dough from scratch, and in addition to being egg free, the flour is heat-treated.
“People talk about raw eggs and salmonella, but it turns out raw flour can also be contaminated,” Withington said. “That’s why we decided before we even opened to get heat-treated flour so there is nothing harmful in it.”
Turns out, raw cookie dough is a hot trend either by itself or – one of their best sellers – warmed up and served with ice cream and chocolate, caramel or white chocolate sauce. Topped with whipped cream and a cherry, of course, it is a cookie dough sundae.
“We did some investigating and found people really like cookie dough,” Withington said. “The cookie dough can be taken home and cooked, but most people like to eat it raw. We also bake it ourselves and offer cookies made with it. And we have cookie dough fudge and pretzels, hot dogs, nachos and chili cheese dogs.”
Withington said they have had a great response from customers, particularly during the car shows at Pine Mountain Village. Their Facebook page has been one of their top means of getting the word out to potential customers, and they plan on joining the Chamber of Commerce to extend their reach.
The décor of the shop mimics a county fair with a deck with tables, umbrellas and music.
“It is just a great place for people to hang out,” Withington said. “Kids like to come out and talk. In addition to ice cream, we serve cold drinks like lemonade, soda pop and iced coffees.”
Withington and her mother have both been in retail earlier in their careers, but this is their first time to open an actual storefront. They are having a blast.
“We really enjoy just providing a fun, happy atmosphere to come to, something completely different than anywhere else,” she said. “We’re so happy. We love it. We are part of the Local Trade Partners where business is done on trade instead of cash. It’s all over the place. All the businesses that have it go to each other’s business and use a card for trading. You pay cash for the tax. It is a really neat concept in the area.”
Right now they are working on creating a gluten free cookie, and would like to offer a sugar free option, as well. They are also looking into providing shipping as they have received a lot of inquiries about that. And they plan to add cupcakes.