'Neighborhood Cookie' brings mobile bakery cart with sweet treats to Sarasota community
Sarasota mother creates community bakery cart
FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon reports on a Sarasota bakery opened by a new mom who opened a bakery stand in her front yard that is selling everything from cookies to freshly baked bread and glazed nuts, all in a grab-and-go-cart with a cash box for money and apps to pay online.
SARASOTA, Fla. - A Sarasota neighborhood has become the spot for a sweet treat, and it's hard to resist when you are walking past freshly baked cookies and pastries.
It's a different type of business model, and one designed by a new mom who wanted another purpose while staying home with her son.
Who's behind Neighborhood Cookie?
If you find yourself in the Tamaron neighborhood of Sarasota, a blue cart may catch your attention. The mobile baker on wheels sits outside Rachel Emerson’s home off Gatewood Drive.
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"When people see the cart, they say it looks good, and I think they’re wondering, ‘what am I going to try?’" Emerson said.
From cookies to fresh baked bread and glazed nuts, it’s a grab and go cart with a cash box for money and apps to pay online.

"I love eating things that represent the season and make me feel more connected to the outside, inside my home," said Emerson.
The backstory:
She started her business "Neighborhood Cookie" online and then decided to open it in her neighborhood.
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"I think the cart gives it more of a physical place to go versus what we are used to now ordering online," Emerson said. "This is something maybe you are driving on by, and it creates that excitement. That ‘oh, what is that, I want to stop and see what’s going on here.’"
She puts the cart out each Friday morning and just a few hours in on January 17, most of Emerson’s baked goods were sold out. She refills her stand with the assistance of her nearly one-year-old son, Enzo.
"In motherhood I found myself wanting something that was just for me. I joke if I’m going to be up at 5 a.m. with a baby, I’d want to be baking," she said.

Pictured: Rachel Emerson restocking her bakery cart's shelves with her one-year-old baby, Enzo.
Sweet Treats for Neighbors
What they're saying:
Emerson’s cart is attracting a following.
"I love it. I think it’s really nice, and it’s a nice way for my kids to get out and support local as well," said Brooke Shapiro, one of Emerson's customers.
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It’s become a real neighborhood treat each week.
"Besides the joy that baked goods can bring people, I’m getting a lot of joy just meeting my neighbors and feeling the excitement that people feel to support one another," said Emerson.
What you can do:
For more information, visit Neighborhood Cookie's Facebook page.
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