Baking Up Big Business in Tyler, TX
Tyler, TX, actively cultivates small business success, offering a welcoming community and a treasure trove of resources to those ready to grow. For a local company, what started as a hobby has flourished into a full-fledged business and a recognizable brand around the region that creates delicious cookies in Tyler.
Humble Beginnings
A family recipe for pecan chocolate chip cookies started it all for Sister2Sister Cookies.
Sisters Melissa Bennett and Ashley Randall grew up trying recipes from family cookbooks at holiday gatherings. As the sisters shared their cookies at picnics and school events, the community encouraged them to expand their baking hobby into a business.
A test run over the holidays resulted in the sale of over 300 dozen cookies, convincing the sisters to give serious consideration to the viability of a cookie business.
In 2011, the sisters acquired their first location in Tyler, a small commercial kitchen with a drive-thru. Sister2Sister Cookies started out with three staples on their menu: pecan chocolate chip, chocolate chip and snickerdoodle cookies. These cookies remain fixtures at Sister2Sister Cookies, even as the business evolves. Consistency has been key to maintaining a quality product that keeps people coming back.
“We want it to taste just like when we first opened,” Bennett says. “So, we have not changed anything. If anything, we’ve gotten more precise in terms of how we measure and bake.”
Steady Growth
Bennett credits several factors to the business’ growth during the early days. Networking with other parents at school gatherings allowed the sisters to spread awareness of their business through word of mouth.
Sister2Sister Cookies also developed a unique packaging that continues to be part of its brand today. The distinct black, white and red box with its simple illustration is eye-catching as well as practical.
“As moms, we didn’t want to go buy cookies at the bakery, then go find a cute package,” Bennett says. “We were all about just having it all ready to go.”
The sisters also took advantage of resources offered by the Tyler Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which assists entrepreneurs at all stages of business development.
Bennett and Randall received the Emerging Women Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2014, giving them a financial as well as moral boost. In partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Tyler Junior College, the SBDC helps entrepreneurs secure loans, further their education and develop business plans through one-on-one assistance.
The sisters also actively give back to their community, including through donations to programs like Meals on Wheels.
“Having a product that we’re proud of and people are excited about makes us so happy,” Bennett says.
Committed Customers
Their success enabled them to upgrade to a new location in Tyler, a standalone building decorated with Sister2Sister’s branding. For Bennett, the business’s slow growth required patience, hard work and humility.
“We literally started out with a KitchenAid,” Bennett says. “It wasn’t anything glamorous.”
Bennett and Randall split responsibilities according to their strengths, with Bennett focused on business and marketing while Randall oversees the baking and quality control. “We get along great,” Bennett says.
While staying true to their roots, Sister2Sister Cookies is always looking ahead and finding ways to keep customers engaged. Along with its fixture of eight cookies, a rotating monthly special gives people something to look forward to, whether it be red velvet cookies for Valentine’s Day, lemon cookies in April, and strawberry cookies in May.
A dedicated customer base, from the early days at school gatherings to regulars picking up their Christmas gifts each year, has kept Sister2Sister Cookies growing. In addition to in-store pickup, the business offers local delivery of cookies in Tyler and an online ordering feature that allows it to ship nationwide.
“Our customers are so dedicated to us,” Bennett says. “It keeps us going and keeps us excited about what we’re doing.”
Get to Know Tyler
Want to learn more about living and working in Tyler, TX? Check out the new edition of Livability Tyler, Texas.