Baking Daily Delights for the Past 40 Years

by Anna Levy

It’s been 40 years since Don and Beverlee Younger fell in love with Mendocino on a vacation and determined that they would build a life on the North Coast. They lived in Fremont at the time, and within two years, they had succeeded in making the move. They wanted to build a business that would be viable in the village, and, noticing the lack of a local cookie shop, they opened Mendocino Cookie Company in 1984 in the old Shell gas station near the Volunteer Fire Department.

All these years later, some things have changed—they are now located in The Company Store in Fort Bragg, for instance—but it’s still a family business. Beverlee oversees the production side of things, while their daughter Wendy runs the retail shop. Don and Beverlee’s son, Mike, is responsible for the maintenance and repairs to keep the business running smoothly. And grandson Quinn mans the espresso bar as a barista several days a week.

In the beginning, cookies were baked a dozen or so at a time using a household mixer, but the operation has grown considerably. “We bake ten varieties of cookies daily, with a different special cookie featured each day, including favorites such as Backpacker cookies, traditional Scottish shortbread, and of course chocolate chip cookies.” For her part, Wendy finds herself drawn to the Backpacker cookies—packed with oats, raisins, coconut, chocolate, butterscotch, and walnuts—as well as the chocolate shortbread with chocolate chips, while Beverlee prefers the Mocha Buzz, a caffeinated celebration of coffee and chocolate. They offer treats such as scones, muffins, and espresso drinks as well, with a host of both regular flavors and rotating specials.

Wendy says that they focus on the quality of ingredients as a foundation for excellence. She told me, “All of our chips come directly from Guittard Chocolate Company in San Francisco . . . they ship 500 pounds at a time to our door.” They use only the best for coffee and espresso, sourced from Peerless Coffee and Tea, an award-winning, family-owned coffee roastery in Oakland which has operated for more than 95 years. After working together for nearly three decades, Wendy shares that “We feel like part of their family.”

Certainly, there are challenges in running a business in a rural area, including the cost of freight, not to mention the cost of repairs when something needs to be fixed, but it’s worth it, Wendy says. “We love our community,” she notes, and shared that they have donated thousands of cookies to local non-profits.

Mendocino Cookie Company is a local institution which has expanded to include a nationwide cookie mail-order component. Their products are also available at other local spots—you can find their cookies at Jenny’s Giant Burger and their cookie dough at both the shop and at Purity Market. “We also make egg-free cookie dough for Cowlick’s Ice Cream cookie dough variety.”

As they look toward the future, they hope to continue building their relationship with both neighbors and visitors, someday passing the business on “for the next generation” and beyond, continuing to provide people with something to make their day a little sweeter. The Spicy Dark Chocolate Mocha, created to warm you up on cozy winter days, may be a great place to start.

Mendocino Cookie Company (aka Zappa’s)
301 North Main St. in Fort Bragg
707-964-0282 | MendocinoCookies.com
Open Mon - Sat 7am – 5pm, Sun 8am – 5pm

Anna Levy writes, cooks, and plans travel of all sorts whenever she can. She lives on the Mendocino Coast with her family.