By Jessica Isaacs
Stick Boy Bread Co., a staple in the Boone community, is celebrating its birthday this month with the return of its famous Free Cookie Day on Sept. 16. The folks behind the bakery have upped the ante this year, and they’re serving up two weeks of great specials leading up to the big day.
The bakery and coffee shop, located right on U.S. Highway 321 adjacent to the campus of Appalachian State University, is one of the area’s go-to stops for fresh bread, sweets, great coffee and more. With high quality, fresh-baked goods at a great price, Stick Boy has earned its place among Boone’s most beloved local establishments.
“When we first opened, there was not a place to buy fresh bread around here. You can go to the grocery store and get an artisan line of stuff, but this is the real thing,” said Abby Willis, a manager who wears many hats at the bakery. “We bake everything from scratch using really good ingredients.
“Whether you’re buying a loaf of bread, dessert or a cup of coffee, we want to provide great products and a great service to the community. We want people to have a great experience when they come in and we want them to leave feeling really good about themselves.”
This month marks 14 years in the High Country for business owners Carson and Mindy Coatney and Stick Boy, which has been hosting the Free Cookie Day customer appreciation deal every September for the past decade. This year, Willis said, the bakery is expanding the celebration with a two-week span of specials, discounts and rewards.
“We opened in August of 2001 and we have done a Free Cookie Day for at least the past 10 years, so we decided to build up to it with two weeks of good deals,” Willis said. “We just appreciate the community so much and how much support they have given us.”
The celebration continues today with a great deal on ceramic mugs — get $5 off a Stick Boy mug and fill it with free coffee all day, or bring yours in if you already have one and enjoy the free coffee. Deals will continue on weekdays and Saturdays leading up to Free Cookie Day.
The daily deals will also be offered at Stick Boy Kitchen, the bakery’s sister location, which offers an expanded menu with items like bagels, sandwiches, soups, salads and more.
NON-PROFIT MATCH DAY
Today also marks the beginning of Stick Boy’s online voting for Thursday’s special, Non-Profit Match Day. Join other Stick Boy fans on Facebook and vote for your favorite local nonprofit agency by the end of today and the top three to receive the most votes will earn a fundraising jar on the bakery counter on Thursday.
The community can drop donations in the jars on Thursday and Stick Boy promises to match the contributions up to $1,000 for each nonprofit.
“We have three standards. One of them is great food, one is attentive customer service and the third is community,” Willis said. “We care deeply for and try to support lots of nonprofits. We appreciate what our customers have done for us all of these years, so we’re really big on keeping the community going hand-in-hand.”
OTHER SPECIALS
Later in the week, the savings continue! Get 30 percent off the purchase of brew appliances in the store on Friday. Stop by the shop decked out in your favorite black and gold for ASU game day and enjoy 25 percent off your entire purchase in honor of the Mountaineers’ season opener home game.
The following week will offer discounts on bread products, opportunities for extra marks on your loyalty card on your way to free stuff, get a discount when you use a gift card and more.
On Tuesday, Sept. 15, the day before the free cookie event, get to know the Horse Helper folks and have a free picture made with Chester the miniature horse outside the shop.
FREE COOKIE DAY
Willis said the main event, Free Cookie Day, always draws a big crowd.
“Last year we gave away about 3,500 cookies, and there’s always a line out the door every minute of the day,” she said.
So what kind of goodies can you expect to find at Stick Boy on Free Cookie Day?
All of your favorites, of course!
Willis said you can go for the classic Awesome Chocolate Chip, try the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip (her favorite) or indulge in the bakery’s signature Magic Cookie.
“It has pecans, chocolate, coconut and marshmallow,” Willis said. “It’s just what it says — magic.”
If all of this cookie talk has you craving something sweet, swing by Stick Boy to get in on the specials today.
Follow the bakery on Facebook to vote for your favorite nonprofit by Wednesday and stay up-to-date on the latest deals as Free Cookie Day makes its way back to Boone.
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