Sweet Success: Johnny B's Cookie Shop Reopens

The co-owners of Johnny B's Cookies are back to baking in their Mack Ave. shop after a devastating fire last summer.

For months, John Buda and his wife, Susan Muer, worked out of First English Lutheran Church to continue providing cookies to their customers. And now they are working to spread the word that Johnny B’s Cookies is back.

“The open sign is on and probably like all businesses, we’ve become interested in all the social networking media, just to get the word out,” Buda said. “We’re looking to push this thing to the next level.”

Both were working in the newly renovated and reopened shop, chatting while serving customers. Buda said Johnny B’s has been in business for about seven years and the shop in St. Clair Shores opened about six years ago.

The popular cookie store had been closed for more than seven months following an August 22, 2010 that resulted in about $250,000-worth of damage.

While the couple went through the legal claims process and waited for reconstruction, Johnny B’s continued with its warehouse-based business. Buda and Muer have arrangements with grocery stores all over the Metro Detroit area, and also market their products along a route heading north to popular vacation destinations like Petoskey, Charlevoix and Traverse City.

“Construction has its headaches, but we’re almost through it,” Buda said. “It’s just the little things that have to be tweaked (and) we’re looking forward to further improvements.”

Being handy in the kitchen comes naturally to Muer–she is the daughter of the late Charles “Chuck” Muer of seafood restaurant fame and his wife, Betty. The couple was lost at sea in 1993.

“All the recipes are from families that we know, down to the ginger snaps, made from a recipe that dates from 1890,” she explained.

In creating their signature line of cookies and other baked goods, the couple uses only the finest ingredients, including real butter and genuine vanilla extract. 

“We don’t use anything you wouldn’t use in your own kitchen,” added Buda.

The couple’s insistence on natural ingredients and personalized service makes a strong impression on store patrons. Grosse Pointe Farms residents Dean and Ande Chapman came with their two small daughters to check out Johnny B’s.

“Beautiful shop … we had some of their (samples)," commented Dean Chapman. "Absolutely delicious.”

“I love it. The customer service is awesome,” added his wife, Ande.

Longtime customer and Shores resident Julie Humphries commented, “Susan Muer and the taste of the cookies … you can’t go wrong. Plus it’s a ‘mom and popper.’ If you want something special-ordered, you can get it.”

Buda and Muer attribute their success to their warm acceptance from local customers.

“Sales were up 30 percent over the year before on the day of the fire, so the community has always been loyal to our products … I’m told that we create memories when people bite into our peanut butter cookies, or, really, any of our cookies,” Muer said.

Johnny B’s Cookies is located on Greater Mack, about one-half mile south of Nine Mile in St. Clair Shores.