You'll find this article in the June 2017 Issue of the Arizona Foodie Magazine. Want a subscription, so that you'll be the first to get the next issue coming out Sept. 1st? Go here: Arizona Foodie Magazine Subscription
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Photography by Timothy Fox Photography
Not long ago a couple of sassy chicks got tired of the ho-hum monotony of their 9-5 jobs. Restless in the daily grind and armed with sweet memories of time spent in the kitchen baking with their grandmothers, local ladies, Laura Browder and Veanney Hurtado dreamed up the idea of starting a dessert food truck. Dreaming turned into reality and The Scookie Bar was born in July of 2016.
“We were working so hard at our previous jobs and sometimes felt unappreciated,” said Browder. “We wanted to do something that we could pour our hearts into and have our dedication acknowledged.”
And acknowledged it was! The Scookie Bar was an immediate hit on the streets of Phoenix. Few could resist the sweet delights of warm, freshly baked cookies, straight out of the oven, generously gilded with Thrifty’s ice cream, whipped cream, and various other toppings.
Business was going well for the ladies, who started off the business with a trailer hitched to a truck. But suddenly disaster struck. Only a few months after they launched The Scookie Bar was involved in a serious car accident.
“It happened on a Sunday, and we never work Sundays, but it was National Cookie Day, so we were out,” said Hurtado. “Our truck rolled on the freeway!”
Thankfully nobody was injured, but the trailer was a total loss, and the future of The Scookie Bar looked bleak.
“It was hard work getting everything up and going in the first place, and suddenly we were back to square one,” said Hurtado. “But it all worked in the end.”
Instead of dwelling on their loss, Browder and Hurtado set to finding a new rig. They lucked out with an old U-Haul moving truck. With a little help and lots of hope, they modified the truck to fit their needs, adding a convection oven, a deep freezer and prep stations. The Scookie Bar was sidelined for two months, but in January 2017 they were ready to hit the streets again, and they felt better than ever.
“The new truck was so much easier for the two of us to handle, easier to drive and less work than hitching and hauling a huge trailer,” said Hurtado. “We consider the accident to be a blessing in disguise.”
Always a crowd pleaser everywhere they go, the ladies of the Scookie Bar continue to dream big and plan to open a storefront sometime in the future.
“That was our original goal, but after meeting with realtors, lenders and mentors, we decided a food truck was the best way to get started,” said Browder. “Someday we will have our storefront, and a Scookie Bar in multiple states across the country!”
The Scookie Bar stands out at every stop, not only because of the irresistible aroma wafting out of their truck but also because these young women greet every customer with genuine warmth and dazzling smiles. They are high energy, and their passion shows in everything from their attitudes to the scrumptious treats they are doling out. They attribute that enthusiasm to the fact that they get to be a part of events that will be forever remembered, like birthdays, weddings and graduations. Both women agree that they feel honored to be a part of such special life events.
In addition to being business partners, Hurtado and Browder are also life partners.
“First it was love at first sight, now it’s love at first bite,” they like to say.
The Scookie Bar serves up four different cookie flavors (chocolate chip, snicker doodle, peanut butter and sugar) and six ice cream flavors (vanilla, chocolate, mint chocolate chip, birthday cake, butter pecan, and strawberry), plus a variety of toppings and syrups.
Their best selling treat is the “Standard Scookie” which is a chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup. But if you ask for their recommendation they will steer you towards the “Signature Scookie” a snicker doodle cookie, with butter pecan ice cream, topped with whipped cream, almonds, and caramel. I say you can’t go wrong with any flavor combination.
Look for the Scookie Bar at local food truck festivals and stops across the valley. You can find their schedule by following their sweet journey on social media @thescookiebar.