DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — With grocery prices on the rise, metro Detroiters are feeling the pinch at the store, but small business owners are also feeling the pain as they try to stay afloat amidst the current economy.
The Detroit Cookie Company is one of them. Greg Clark, a frequent visitor at the Woodward Ave location, calls it his guilty pleasure.
"I'm trying to shed a few pounds for the spring, so I'm trying to lay off for a while," said Greg.
"But you are still grabbing some," I said
"I'm grabbing for a family for 50 bucks worth," said Greg.
No matter the occasion, the co-owner, Lauren Roumayah, says it's a happy place for all.
"We have a ton of flavors out right now... our top sellers are a chocolate chunk, banana pudding, birthday cake, raspberry Oreo cheesecake," said Lauren "I love cookies, I grew up baking cookies with my mom around the holidays. It's her love language, it's my love language, and I just think when you eat a cookie, it takes you back to childhood."
Lauren and her husband launched the business in 2015.
"We started with one product, and it was my chocolate chunk cookie. We created an Instagram. The power of social media was huge for us. We worked out of shared used space in Southfield called the culinary studio, we were meeting people at gas stations... at their houses," Lauren said.
Since then, the homegrown brand has grown with two stores, Ferndale and St. Clair Shores.
"But now things are different..." I mentioned.
"The cost of ingredients has just skyrocketed. We used to pay 2 to 3 cents per egg. And now they range from 60 to 90 cents per egg," Lauren said.
Lauren says they go through 10,000 eggs a week.
"same with butter, flour, sugar, chocolate, especially has gone up significantly," said Lauren
And there is a reason why this place can't continue to feel the pinch.
"I was told that you guys haven't increased your prices ever since you launched... that can't be right?!" I asked.
"Yes, I want our cookies to be affordable for everybody and keep them this price. But if these costs keep going up, I don't think we have an option," Lauren said
According to the USDA, average grocery prices are predicted to rise by 3.3 percent in 2025.
"I dont want people to come in or not come in because they can't afford to have their favorite cookies anymore. Or celebrate birthdays. It would be just so sad to me," Lauren said.
"Has this forced you to downscale some aspects of your business?" I asked
"Yes, we had to scale back on staffing. It's not something we like to do because we love our team members, but we had to cut some positions," Lauren said.
"Is there anything the community can do to help?" I asked.
"I would say just choose your local businesses and support them," said Lauren.
To learn more about Detroit Cookie Company, head towww.detroitcookieco.com
