One Girl Cookies says goodbye . . . for now

BOROUGHWIDE — One of Brooklyn’s beloved pastry stores One Girl Cookies closed its doors as of Thursday, March 19. While it’s getting harder and harder for small businesses to survive during the coronavirus crisis, One Girl Cookies hopes to re-open its three locations once the economy strengthens.

One Girl Cookies opened its doors in 2000 as an artisanal bakery/cafe specializing in handmade baked goods. They also authors of a cookbook that was published in 2012, “One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies from Brooklyn’s Beloved Bakery.”

Photo courtesy of Dawn Casales One Girl Cookies cookbook.

For Dawn Casale, who owns the business with her husband Dave Crofton, the decision to close the store’s three locations at 33 Main Street in DUMBO, 68 Dean Street in Cobble Hill and Industry City, was a difficult one.

“We had originally hoped that we could stay open a little longer than we were actually able to,” Casale told this paper. “But it was like a roller coaster every day with the staff worrying,” Casale told this paper.

Thought it was the right thing to do

“And it’s hard to say just how careful the employees were being in their personal lives. At work there was a lot of oversight and we knew that people were practicing all of the safety measures but outside of work we couldn’t say. As a result we thought the right thing to do was to close,” added Casale.

Although Casale was born and raised in Westchester County, her mother was born in Sicily and when she emigrated to America, her family settled in Brooklyn. “So it’s come full circle,” said Casale.

“The reason we moved to Brooklyn was because Cobble Hill was such a family-oriented neighborhood. We decided to settle here because the community is so strong and cohesive and supportive. The independent businesses here were such a draw for us. And it just felt right when we came to look at apartments and we never left.”

Grateful to generosity of the community

Casale said that she was extremely grateful to the generosity of the community since they started a GoFundMe page to help support their staff during their time off. “They were so touch by it,” explained Casale. “It just makes them feel like they are supported and missed and its just really means a lot for them to know that.”

Casale said she hoped the staff would all return after the current health crisis is over and that One Girl Cookies will reopen, sooner rather than later. “That’s the plan and we look forward to that day,” Casale added.

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