Sharon's Cookie Jar Hosts Kids' Tea Party

Six children and their parents were on hand yesterday at Sharon’s Cookie Jar in Granby to have a tea party during the deli/bakery/market’s second “Mommy & Me” gathering.

“Mommy & Me” is the brainchild of owner Sharon Eastman Pisiakowski, who wanted to have a place for parents to bring their young children during the week, particularly during her store’s off-peak hours.

The idea is to have a different theme each week. Last Thursday, for example, was “Decorate Your Own Cookie,” while a future week will feature a musician from West Hartford.

Sharon’s Cookie Jar, which opened in June 2011 in the old Mojo’s location at 498 Salmon Brook St., is named after Pisiakowski’s affinity for, well, cookie jars. It's a moniker that has generated some the confusion.

They don’t exclusively make cookies there.

“The name’s kind of deceiving,” Pisiakowski, who is originally from Granby, said. “Ever since high school, I’ve collected cookie jars and said to my parents at the time, ‘That would be a cool name for a store.’”

Years later, when Pisiakowski decided to open the store, her parents reminded her that she should call it “Sharon’s Cookie Jar.”

“I’m not so sure I’m happy I did that, because people think we’re a cookie shop,” she said. “We’re not.”

Indeed, what patrons can get is a little bit of everything: omelets, French toast, home fries, sandwiches, soups, salads, stuffed breads, cake pops and, yes, cookies, which come with every lunch, along with a pickle.

“We do breakfast and lunch every day,” Pisiakowski  said. “We do tons of deli sandwiches.”

The store also has a section for people to pick up eggs, soda, candy, juice and chips.

Most of the store’s customers come from local businesses in North Granby.

“A lot of the blue collar guys … the construction guys and the landscapers,” Pisiakowski said.

She is trying to reach out to a larger customer pool with themes like “Mommy & Me.”

In addition, the store offers free WiFi and also has new, comfortable furniture designed for patrons to hang out.

“Just so people can sit with their laptops,” Pisiakowski. “We’d definitely like to increase that base for moms to come with their kids to get cookies and snacks.”

For more information, visit the store’s website here.