A Sweet, New Shop
By Gabby Ceconi ('22)
Nestled into the corner of the Palisades Mall, tucked next to Macy’s, lives a cozy new hotspot for warm, chocolaty delights: Great American Cookies. Although this sweet new shop may be young, the company has been around for decades, becoming a nostalgic haven for customers. Marilyn Dolan, a long time fan of the company, expresses her happiness for its reopening. "I absolutely love that Great American Cookies is back! Their cookie cake was such a big part of my childhood and there is no other cookie cake that compares!" Jamie Arkley, the owner of the franchise, said “I can’t even tell you how many people have come in with their kids and said, "This is the place Mommy loved when she was little!""
Arkley also touches on the joys of owning the shop. “The most rewarding part is making other people happy. Since we opened, we’ve been a part of so many special occasions, heard so many people’s stories and brought back childhood memories.” The friendly and motivating staff are a great help in keeping customers happy and carefree through their smiles, courtesy, and even their dance moves, which get them through rush hour. In addition to selling tons of delicious cookie varieties and flavors, GAC offers their star product: cookie cakes. From small twelve-inch rounds to large pan sized cakes, Great American Cookies continues to leave customers speechless with their decorators’ capabilities.
Cakes featuring the New England Patriots, Buzz and Woody from Toy Story, and even Baby Yoda have continued to dazzle customers...even celebrities!
“We even made a cake for the New York Yankees with their logo on it!” said Arkley.
Amongst the great, there are also the strange. Arkley added, “The weirdest cake would probably be one that said “Still Not Dead!”—and nothing else! We were assured by the customer that it’s an inside joke with her husband that went years back.”
Peculiar cakes, such as those Ackley mentioned, keep the staff at GAC motivated and laughing throughout the work day. Opened in July, the small shop has garnered lots of attention and love from the community.
“My family and I have so many amazing memories of the brand and found ourselves constantly talking about how much we missed it—and we refused to believe we were the only ones,” said Arkley. Surprisingly, the idea to open the shop started as a light joke. “My partner jokingly said we should bring GAC back...but it’s a little more than a joke now.” Karissa Guiliano, the mastermind behind it all, remarks on her ambitious thought. "It's definitely been one of the best ideas I've had and I'm so glad that all of Rockland is enjoying it!"
Photo credit: Gabby Ceconi ('22)
Photo credit: Madison Guiliano
(From left to right: Steven Guiliano, Marleen Guiliano, Jamie Arkley, Marco Ceconi, Madison Guiliano, Karissa Guiliano)
Photo courtesy of The Rockland Report
If you are interested in ordering a creative cake or visiting the shop, you can reach Great American Cookies via their website, https://www.greatamericancookies.com/locations/palisades-mall/, or through their Instagram page, @gacpalisades.