Valentine’s Day is Friday, but it’s not too late to buy a gift for that special someone. In fact, two shops in East Cobb have seen big business this week, as locals prepare for the holiday.
“Tomorrow will be busy,” Jeff Rosengarten, owner of Ali's Cookies, said. “We'll have a lot of people picking up orders, but the whole week has been insane…it's almost the calm after the storm, because earlier this week we were busy shipping all across the country for Valentine's Day, to get it there in time for tomorrow.”
Ali’s Cookies, which has three locations in Atlanta, specializes in gourmet, made-from-scratch cookies that are baked daily and hand-decorated cookie cakes. You can also purchase “day-old cookies” at half price.
“We cater to people with kosher restrictions, and we cater to dairy-free all the time,” Rosengarten said. “We offer a vegan cookie because one of our employees is vegan and she came up with a wonderful recipe for a vegan cookie. So we do gluten-free, vegan, non-dairy, and nut-free, but it is a shared facility.”
There are dozens of choices, but if you don’t know what to try, Rosengarten recommends “George Washington’s Revenge,” an original recipe which includes chocolate, toffee, oatmeal, and tart cherries.
“It's just a little party going on in your mouth,” Rosengarten said. “It's just amazing. It's probably the reason why I bought the store 12 years ago, because that cookie, as soon as I put it in my mouth, was the most amazing cookie I've ever had.”
Just around the corner from Ali’s Cookies in the Merchant Walk Shopping Center is The Queen’s Pantry, a one-of-a-kind shop with British groceries and gifts. Mary Docker, the owner's mother and manager of the store, said they always see a boost in business for Valentine’s Day.
“Valentine's Day is a good time for people to show love, and what better than to come buy something like a box of chocolates or a nice gift,” she said. “We do have proper chocolate, and to us, proper chocolate is English-made Cadbury chocolate. It has its own unique flavor.”
And there’s plenty of it! You’ll find of hundreds of chocolates and other sweets, not to mention a variety of novelty gifts for people of all ages.
“One of the best sellers is the insult mugs,” Docker said. “Why people would give it on Valentine's Day, I don't know. Maybe they think they can get away with it because it's supposed to be something nice.”
Want more East Cobb news? Follow us on Facebook.
RELATED: