Local baker's transition from selling out of her home to commercial space has been 'whirlwind'
May 23—A Cedarville University grad has made a successful transition from selling cookies out of her home to selling cookies in a commercial space in downtown Cedarville.
Church Street Cookies opened a brick and mortar store in March 2021. Owner Morgan Rubosky had been making cookies out of her home and selling them since 2020.
Her parents had a cookie business on and off for about 10 years as a way to make some additional income for the family before Rubosky took over and started baking full time. Rubosky said her first job in high school was baking cookies for her parents. The woman who was in the space her bakery is now in was looking to get out and messaged Rubosky in December. Since then, things have been a piece of cake.
"It was very clear, the way this all came together, that this was what was supposed to happen next," Rubosky said. "It's been a whirlwind few months."
Rubosky said she's now able to make four times as many cookies as she was at home.
Her dad in 2020 was going to stop baking cookies as a side hustle, but Rubosky said she couldn't let the business die. She was working at a coffee shop, but quit there and started baking cookies as her full-time job.
"It's been such a long time since there has been a consistent bakery in this space that we've done incredibly well," Rubosky said.
Church Street Cookies opened in downtown Cedarville in March 2021. Owner Morgan Rubosky was selling cookies out of her home before opening the commercial space. STAFF/BONNIE MEIBERS
Church Street Cookies opened in downtown Cedarville in March 2021. Owner Morgan Rubosky was selling cookies out of her home before opening the commercial space. STAFF/BONNIE MEIBERS
During the pandemic, cookie sales soared, Rubosky said.
"I think people were just looking for a comfort food," she said.
As people baked bread in their homes during quarantine and stay-at-home orders for themselves or loved ones, Rubosky was making baked goods for others.
Church Street Cookies on average sells about 750 cookies a week during the school year, Rubosky said.
Church Street Cookies gets cream horn croissants from a bakery in Springfield, soft pretzels from a bakery out of South Vienna and gluten-free options from a bakery in Beavercreek.
"Being in the small business world, rather than compare ourselves to each other it works so well if we just partner together and help each other grow," Rubosky said.
Church Street Cookies opened in March 2021 in downtown Cedarville. STAFF/BONNIE MEIBERS
Church Street Cookies opened in March 2021 in downtown Cedarville. STAFF/BONNIE MEIBERS
Rubosky graduated from Cedarville University in 2017 with a degree in youth ministry and Christian education.
"Even though I'm not using those in a church setting, I want this entire place to be like a space of ministry, and I want to be able to love people through what we do," she said.
There is a prayer wall in the bakery, with a list of people for Rubosky and her staff to pray for while baking. The cookie shop also donates the tips from their tip jar to a different missionary every month. Rubosky went on an 11-month mission trip in 2019 called the World Race. She had to fundraise for her trip and wants to support others because she knows the challenges of fundraising.
Rubosky said she partners with organizations and also individuals going on long-term and shorter-term mission trips.
"This is the perfect town for something like that," she said.
Rubosky said her mission trip prepared her for this new business venture by making her more "bold" and willing to take steps that can be intimidating.
"Committing to 11 months straight of not being at home or not being in the states made it a lot easier for me to be able to step into something like opening here, even though I didn't have much like business experience prior," Rubosky said.
