A brief advisory to readers with a sweet tooth before you read about the latest addition to the Napa gourmet scene: this article may cause severe cookie cravings for a giant (about the size of a hockey puck), fresh out of the oven, chewy, gooey, loaded and layered mega cookie.
The cookies at Sugar, Spice & Ice have enticing names like “Worms and Dirt” (a triple chocolate cookie with chocolate buttercream, Oreos and gummy worms) or “The S’mores” (a chocolate chip cookie topped with Nutella and toasted marshmallows) among other sweet offerings at this new female-owned business.
The shop is tucked into the parking lot of a commercial center at 2526 Jefferson Ave., conveniently located to catch commuters and high school foot traffic.
In addition to the oversized cookies (the “Sugar, Spice” of the business name), they offer naturally-flavored, customizable sodas, lotus energy drinks, sugar-free refreshers and lemonades (the “Ice” portion of the business).
Brookelyn de Jesus and Tana Tavizon are the partners behind the new concept, a cross between a highly Instagrammable cookie company and an old-fashioned soda shop.
“Our décor is meant to be a modern take on an old-fashioned candy and soda shop.” The heavenly bakery smell, dusty rose tile and walls the color of pink frosting make it hard to believe that this used to be a shoe repair.
Tavizon explained, “We still get the occasional wanderer looking to get shoes fixed, and we point them to the new location.”
Though the business only opened in December, “coincidentally on National Cookie Day,” Tavizon added, the word of their opening is spreading fast, especially among Napa High School students, who have already figured out that they can use the Toast App on their phones to order ahead for a pick-me-up (helpful since they only have a 30-minute break at lunch).
Repeat customers have been sharing their discovery and passion for these sweet treats on social media, considerably boosting business.
“We have one kid who I think we need to put on our marketing team. He has been coming in every single day and every day with a different friend,” Tavizon said.
The bakery is counter service only, with just a few chairs outside, but it provides a much-needed spot for young people to meet and socialize. It has already become a popular hangout for fans to gather before any Big Game — both Napa High and Vintage colors are warmly welcomed. The students get discounts if they are in their spirit wear on Big Game day.
As grads of both schools (De Jesus is a Vintage alum while Tavizon graduated from Napa High), they are pleased to offer a neutral meeting ground for the teens. They couldn’t be happier about providing a safe place to this community in Napa that they see as underserved.
“In Napa, there are a lot of wineries, but there are not a lot of places for the kids,” said Tavizon.
Tavizon explained that “Brookelyn is the extrovert,” the friendly face behind the counter (and “the mastermind behind the daily reels on Instagram”), serving up the fluffy eight-ounce cookies and ice concoctions with a smile, while Tavizon is behind the scenes as the bookkeeper and baker, delivering still-warm cookies to the front as fast as she can bake them.
“I drop the kids (ages 9 and 12) off at school and get to work immediately baking. As an introvert, I am happiest in the back, but sometimes I pop into the front to help Brookelyn with the rush,” said Tavizon.
Most cookies are sold out by the end of the day (the new business is already averaging about 100 customers a day). Still, if any are left, they hand-deliver them to neighboring businesses, senior citizen homes or the fire station.
“We always take care of the guys at Paradise Lost Tattoo, next door, who are some of our best customers,” said Tavison. De Jesus and Tavizon even named a cookie after them, “The Paradise Lost” — a chocolate chip cookie with marshmallows and rainbow sprinkles folded in.
Locals may recognize these two hard workers. The duo behind the “pink sugar shack” (as they privately refer to it) met years ago at Celadon. Tana and her husband, Joel Tavizon (both with long and respectable culinary resumes), took over Celadon nine years ago, and de Jesus started working there as a hostess while pursuing a psychology major at a university.
She quickly made herself indispensable to the owners and, upon graduation, decided she enjoyed restaurant life so much that she abandoned her plan to go to graduate school and became a full-time member of the Celadon team. After making her mark at Celadon, de Jesus was ready for a new challenge, and she approached her friend and mentor with the idea of partnering at Sugar, Spice & Ice.
Tavizon had no hesitation in accepting the offer — and it has been full steam ahead since.
“The concept of a soda shop is already popular in places like Austin and Salt Lake City,” where de Jesus grew up through 5th grade, “but it’s something that has been missing in Napa,” de Jesus observed.
Napa has its share of sweet-tooth consumers who are ready for the concept. Lines are sometimes out the door, and cookies are snatched up (and consumed) faster than Tavizon can bake them. They invested in a special “nugget” crushed ice machine (for the specialty drinks), and “we splurged on a double convection oven.”
They only buy high-quality ingredients, like Guittard chocolate, local sweet unsalted butter, and Malden sea salt. Still, they had to cut costs on other items they wanted. A larger commercial-sized mixer is the first item on the wish list, which would allow Tavizon to create larger batch sizes.
While they always offer the classics (such as chocolate chip, oatmeal, oatmeal butterscotch, and gluten-free vegan peanut butter), they also have rotating unique flavors for the holidays and even experiment with customers’ suggestions, like the Peanut Butter Lover, which was so popular, it sold out immediately. The giant cookie costs $4 to $5.50 but can easily be shared with a friend or two.
A few varieties of “minis” are also for sale. The drinks menu is equally creative and expansive and boasts the “Leviosa” — based on Harry Potter’s butterbeer, as well as Tavizon’s favorite “Dreamsicle Creamsicle,” a cream soda “made from orange soda, vanilla, and milk that tastes like an orange creamsicle popsicle.”
A decadent hot cocoa, croissant waffles and blended coffee drinks are in development, and other themed cookies will be announced on their Instagram page. They are planning on a wholesale and catering offshoot in the future, but in the meantime, online orders are available.
Info: 2526 Jefferson St., Napa; open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; instagram.com/sugarspiceicenapa.
