November 2001

There's No Place Like Linani's

Yes, there's no place like home. But the truth is, these cookies are better than the ones Mom used to make ...

There's a mouth watering aroma that stirs the senses and brings back old-fashioned memories to passersby on Main Street in Homer. The source of that nostalgic aroma is the absolutely perfect plump cookies baked by Randy Lewis, proprietor of Linani's Cookie Factory and Coffee Shop, and his staff.

Linani's reputation is growing. There's a parade of familiar faces each workday morning for the gourmet coffees and overstuffed home-baked muffins. On weekends, there's a cozy cluster of customers lingering over the morning paper with fresh scones and specialty teas. Customers worldwide are ordering baked goods such as the delicious chocolate lovers chocolate chip and Dutch fudge cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies -- as well as "nut lovers" cookies featuring peanut butter, chocolate chip with walnut, white chocolate and macadamia, cranberry walnut, pecan and black walnut. And don't overlook "Grandma's Old Fashioned Molasses cookies," hand rolled in sugar with just a touch of ginger. The recipe, which is a family secret, keeps the cookies fresh and moist, and gives them their luscious flavor. The name Linani, derived from the Hungarian, connotes a term of high regard.

Linani's typically makes between 8,000 to 10,000 cookies per month, and last year shipped an additional 50,000 for the holidays. The company has shipped product to foreign markets including Japan, Hong Kong, South America, Finland, Scotland, and even to American troops stationed in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm. This holiday season Randy expects to exceed 75,000 shipped cookies, thanks in part to his expansion into a new honest-to-goodness Cookie Factory which will compliment Linani's current retail shop. Gift tins are available in two sizes: 16 cookies and 40-45 cookies. Linani's also sells cookies in bulk and at wholesale.

Linani's specialties include not just cookies, but cakes, brownies, muffins, crumb cakes, scones and fruit turnovers, puff pastry confections, bagels, specialty breads and rolls, which are made to order and always fresh. Randy has even invented the "Tioughnioga Trail Mix" to compliment the new waterfront development project underway in the county. His famous cookies are created from scratch using all-natural ingredients and no preservatives, then hand-baked, home style. The retail coffee shop offers an eclectic selection of food and beverage gifts, baskets, candles, folk art crafts, antiques and other unique items.

Linani's is able to market its cookies around the world through catalog sales and growing E-Commerce initiatives. When Randy bought the company in 1997 with the assistance of the SBA, the business was already selling product via mail order. Randy explains, "We had a good foundation to start from and I believed we could expand sales worldwide, while at the same time creating a more visible local presence. The combination of retail, mail order and E-Commerce have helped us grow."

As an active participant in local initiatives such as the Homer Business Association and Cortland County tourism, Linani's is visible at local and regional events such as the upcoming Homer Winterfest. Randy also sees the local economy helping his business. "The BDC/IDA is doing a great job getting Cortland County recognized by bringing in new business and helping existing businesses. Because of the success of those efforts, we are doing more work for local companies," he says.

To help meet increasing sales, the company is expanding to its new Cookie Factory with the assistance of community development funding through the Village of Homer. The new facility will expand the bakery, adding more ovens and coolers, creating space for a new packing and shipping room, loading dock and offices for E-Commerce activities and market development. It is also Randy's goal to eventually offer small tours of the Cookie Factory for schools and other groups. The Culinary Arts program at OCM BOCES in Cortland has been a resource to Linani's. A local high school student in the program works at the factory and receives credit for her time through a work study program. Randy hopes to be able to bring in groups of such work-study students in the future.

There's nothing sweeter than the smell of success and it's even more pleasurable wrapped up in the aroma of one of Linani's cookies. For Linani's Cookie Factory the sun is shining, the coffee is steaming and the cookies are warm and fresh from the oven. What could be better than that?

Additional information:
http://www.lininaiscookies.com
(607) 749-9999