George's Unauthorized History

You were warned…

On March 29, 1983, the first red and white Cookies By George® store opened on Denman Street in Vancouver, BC, with this warning: ‘Just when you thought it was safe to let your sweet tooth wander the streets, Cookies By George is now open.’

It was an accident…

The only reason the store finally opened to paying customers was because a supplier left the door ajar when he left the store. You see, 3 dymamic women from Vancouver who were the founders of Cookies By George, couldn’t bring themselves to open the doors because they didn’t know if they had gotten it right. This was the first time any of them had ever opened a retail store. They wondered, 'Are these absolutely the very best cookie recipes? Could we make them just a tad better? Maybe the staff needs more training?'

But once the doors opened, that was it. People rushed in to buy the cookies. They lined up around the block. And, as they say… the rest is history. 25 years later… same cookies, same enthusiastic cookie lovers and still more fun than any business should be!

George, the personality hog…

While the founders tried to manage George, his over-the-top-personality quickly took center stage. He celebrated Mother’s Day with contests to guess which ‘Mom’ was his real mom. He polled people on who George really was. While lots of people said, George was ‘an insanely handsome guy who drives a red Porsche’, most people got the answer correct: ‘a not-so-insanely-handsome (but lovable) guy who drives a ’57 Chevy with a bumper sticker that says: This Car Stops for Garage Sales.

The cookie as a gift! Whose brilliant idea was this?

Before George came on the scene, if you wanted to give someone cookies as a house warming, or as a gift of any sort, you’d go to bakery and buy a dozen ordinary cookies. The kindly bakery lady would put them in a plain white box and tie it up with string. A string…

There’s got to be a better way, thought George. So he put his cookies, his unbelievable—world’s best cookies—in shiny red boxes and tins, wrapped them up with real ribbon and let customers pick a card of their choice. “May this romance last longer than these cookies” was George’s idea of how to cement a relationship. “Cookies like Mom tried to make and couldn’t” was his idea of a nice card for all the Moms out there. “It’s better to have eaten and gained than never to have eaten at all®” was George’s most popular greeting card.

A thing about flowers…

George could never understand the big deal about giving flowers, because you can’t eat flowers®… That became his most successful gift idea of all, Flowers By George™. Actually he had a girlfriend at the time, Lucy, and she gave him the idea. It was a flower box full of great, edible, delicious cookies and a card that read; “Because you can’t eat flowers®.”

The power of cookies…

In the good old days people never asked how many calories were in a cookie. Nobody knew about nutritional information but George knew that his customers were Cookie People who lived la dolce vita (the sweet life.) If they were going to treat themselves then they would want absolutely the best cookies in the world. Cookie People believe in the therapeutic power of cookies—if only temporarily. Quote from original 1983 cookie bag:

Congratulations...
You are now in possession of cookies By George! Our cookies gladden the heavy heart, simplify the complicated and are the universal solution to every problem—if only temporarily. To reach such heights of cookie perfection we combine big chunks of the finest chocolate, real vanilla, the freshest nuts and the most exotic fruits picked off the headdress of Carmen Miranda. Enjoy!

Hello, it’s the cookies…

George’s longevity in the cookie biz (25 years and counting!) really isn’t because of his crazy personality and irreverent marketing ideas. Instead it’s his unswerving loyalty to quality ingredients. These cookies, from the ‘original small batch recipe’ (circa 1982), are still coming out of the oven. Some of his personal bests are:

Classic Chocolate Chunk®

The Cookie That Launched a Thousand Hips.

This is the cookie that started it all—our Helen of Troy. Created from the finest ingredients, this original small batch recipe is still his most beloved cookie.

Double Trouble®

Is There a Law Against This Cookie?

If there isn’t, there should be! This all-chocolate-everywhere-cookie was created for those with serious chocolate addictions. In the ‘80s when people went into rehab it was because of this cookie!

Reverse® Almond Chocolate Chunk

Another Great Accidental Discovery in History

George was watching his favorite soap while making a batch of cookies. Distracted by Dr. Drake’s bedside manner he started pouring dark cocoa to the Classic mix. Turning off the Hobart (that’s Cookie Speak for ‘mixer’) he knocked a bunch of almonds into the batter. Add white chocolate and you’ve got a famous cookie that over the decades has been often imitated, but never replicated.

George makes new friends…

In 1985 George met the-brother-he-always-wanted, Judah. Soon George was letting Judah sell his cookies as well. They hit it off, big time. Then Judah introduced George to his bookkeeper Faye and that was it. They all decided to make beautiful cookies together.

The Center of the Cookie Universe moved to Edmonton and for more than two decades Judah Busheikin and Faye Mowers have been keeping George out of trouble and baking up a storm.

* our online prices include local delivery where available