Cookie Plug Opens 3rd Florida Storefront In The Village At The Grove! 

Nicole (left) and Sommer Cholnik were first in line to buy a dozen cookies at the new Cookie Plug store in The Grove at Wesley Chapel on June 28. (Photos by Charmaine George)

Cookie Plug, an edgy, innovative bakery with more than 25 locations nationwide (and growing), has opened its newest storefront in The Village at The Grove at 6013 Wesley Chapel Grove Blvd., Suite 102 (next to the Ice Dreammm Shop). A nice crowd of locals lined up outside the new Cookie Plug at 11 a.m. on June 28, where they received free samples of the different flavors. There also was a DJ and a great Opening Day special — eight free giant-sized cookies when you purchased four, plus a drink. 

Cookie Plug Wesley Chapel is owned and operated by Florida resident David Johnson, who says he is eager to introduce the uniqueness of the bakery to locals. With support from his wife Jackie, Johnson plans to open more locations in the state, including one in Highwoods Preserve in New Tampa, which is at least a couple of months behind the Wesley Chapel store. 

“I was initially drawn to the creativity of the concept and the nod to hip-hop culture that Cookie Plug brings to the table, but then, the minute I tasted the cookies, I was hooked,” Johnson said in a press release. “We are particularly excited to serve the Wesley Chapel community in a space that is surrounded by thriving businesses, shops and homes. We are eager to bring this sweet addition to the area, offering thick-cut cookies in a variety of flavors that are unlike anything else you can get in Tampa Bay and beyond.” 

Originally founded in Riverside, CA, in 2019, Cookie Plug was inspired by graffiti and street art with the aim to add a unique twist to the conventional bakery. Offering cookies made fresh daily that are part cake, part brownie, part cookie and 100% delicious, the brand’s inventive menu offers 12 different flavors, including: s’mores, chocolate chip, sugar, triple chocolate, strawberry cheesecake (Charmaine and I both loved this one), red velvet, snickerdoodle and two rotating flavors, including this months “Black Ops,” the brownie-flavored cookie with red, white & blue star sprinkles shown in the box held by Nicole and Sommer Cholnik, who were first in line on June 28. 

Cookie Plug also has keto cookie options available, as well as mini “plug popper” cookies, ice cream sandwiches and custom cakes to satisfy any sweet tooth. 

“We have an incredible product and I can’t wait for locals in Wesley Chapel and Tampa Bay to experience it for themselves,” said David Denker, president and chief growth officer of Cookie Plug. 

Cookie Plug Wesley Chapel is open Mon.-Thur., noon-11 p.m.; noon-midnight on Fri. & Sat.; & noon- 9 p.m. on Sun. For more info, follow Cookie Plug on Instagram or Facebook @cookie.plug or visit CookiePlug.com/wesleychapel. For franchising opportunities, visit Franchise.CookiePlug.com. — GN 

Mo Cookies Opens In The KRATEs; Tous Les Jours To Replace Capital Tacos! 

As we told you in this issue (as well as months ago in a previous issue), the cookie chain known as Cookie Plug (photo below left) is coming to the space in The Grove at Wesley Chapel next to the Ice Dreammm Shop — which, by the way, also sells cookies and was named one of our readers’ five Favorite Bakeries (as well as their second favorite ice cream shop) in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. 

Although we didn’t know, at our press time, when this young chain which claims to serve, “The fattest and thiccest cookies on the block” was expected to open, Cookie Plug, founded in 2019, today has 30 locations in 13 states (with the only Florida location in Ft. Myers), but according to CookiePlug.com, is planning to add more than 100 new locations, including more than 30 in the Sunshine State — ten in Tampa (including New Tampa), 15 in Orlando, five in Miami and this one in Wesley Chapel — over the next year or so. 

I will say that Cookie Plug has its work cut out for it if it plans to serve fatter cookies than what you can get at the new Mo Cookies, which opened in the KRATE at The Grove container park (in the former location of Urban Sweets, which I hated to see close), just before we went to press with this issue. 

Mo Cookies, which has an original location in Tallahassee, offers 20+ varieties of freshly baked cookies in four categories — “Standards,” which are thinner and cost $2.99 apiece (and are in the bottom row in the top photo); “Premiums” (which are thicker cookies served with toppings; top two rows); “Signatures” (3rd row from the top), which are “extra large, extra gooey” and cost $4.99 apiece; and “Grab N Go,” which cost $3.49 apiece (and aren’t shown in the picture), although there are “Pack” discounts on all of these options, too. Mo Cookies also offers your favorite cookies as a “MoZookie,” topped with vanilla ice cream. 

With varieties like “S’mores,” “Freshman 15” and “Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter” (the latter is my current favorite), it seems pretty likely that Mo Cookies is going to develop a local following, too. To order, call (813) 345-8059 or visit Order.Online or stop in & tell them I sent you! 

Tous Les Jours Coming To S.R. 56! 

Although New Tampa has now had its own Tous les Jours French-style Korean bakery inside the Lotte Plaza Market on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. for a little more than a year, many people who live in Wesley Chapel are happy that Tous les Jours has announced (with signage on the doors; photo above) that it is taking over the space previously occupied by Capital Tacos on S.R. 56. Although we had no information at our press time as to when the new Tous les Jours was expected to open, the fact that this international brand, with more than 1,600 locations worldwide (and 130+ in the U.S.), will bring its unique and huge selection of breads, pastries, pies, coffee, tea and blended drinks to Wesley Chapel will surely be a welcome addition. 

For more info, visit tljus.com. — GN 

TGI Friday’s Closes In Highwoods Preserve; Nothing Bundt Cakes & Cookie Plug Coming Soon? 

When I lived in Manhattan, New York, in the 1980s, my apartment was a couple of blocks from the original TGI Fridays on 1st Ave. Not only was it the location where Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown served drinks in the movie “Cocktail,” it also was a truly great non-chain restaurant. 

Then, when I moved to Tarrytown, NY, one of the first TGI Fridays franchises opened and I was disgusted by the “chain-ing” of this fabled eatery. My favorite potato skins on earth went from giant, crispy spuds filled with real cheddar cheese and topped with crumbled hunks of real bacon to mini-potatoes with low-quality American cheese and fake bacon bits. I swore to never visit a Fridays again. 

But, when the Fridays on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Highwoods Preserve opened nearly two decades ago, I still visited fairly frequently, as it often had live music, a hoppin’ bar and the food seemed better than it was in Tarrytown, even though the potato skins were still less than overwhelming. 

So, I wasn’t surprised to hear that the New Tampa Fridays was one of nearly 50 to close its doors on Oct. 24 (see notice, above), following a purge of 36 locations in January, leaving the chain with 164 remaining links and the parent company reportedly ready to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

Hopefully, something good will replace Fridays in this prime BBD location, but can a mom-&-pop even afford to move in there? 

The better news is that zip code 33647 is about to get its just desserts, as Nothing Bundt Cakes (NBC) will open a location about eight miles south of its popular location in The Shops at Wiregrass. Although NBC is limited to moist bundt cakes with amazing icing, it will still be a better choice in the former Subway location next to China City in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center. 

The most interesting news is that Cookie Plug, which also is getting ready to open in The Grove at Wesley Chapel (next to the Ice Dreammm Shop), also is getting ready to open in the former Weight Watchers location about 11 miles to the south in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve plaza. 

We had no further information as to when NBC or Cookie Plug were expected to open, but we will keep you posted. — GN