Schmackary's Lip-Smackin' Good Cookies set to go from Broadway to Nassau County

Nassau County is about to get a whole lot sweeter.

Schmackary’s Lip-Smackin’ Good Cookies bakery, known for providing Broadway goers with more than 100 rotating flavors of cookies in Hell’s Kitchen, is set to open its first Long Island franchise in Albertson later this year.

The store will operate at 1044 Willis Ave., the location of the former Roslyn Kosher Foods that closed in March after 40 years of business.

Known for its own twists on classic flavors like oatmeal, chocolate, and new flavors like Key lime pie, pumpkin chai, Lucky Charmed and carrot cake, each cookie has its own unique recipe that combines crisp edges and soft chewy centers.

The Long Island location will rotate 12 flavors each month depending on the season, as well as its classic, funfetti, and cookies and cream cookies year-round.

Vegan and gluten-free options also will be available.

Like its original location, the store will sell coffee and ice cream sandwiches.

Brenda Grayson, franchisee and owner of the Albertson location, said the 1,370-square-foot store was the perfect spot for the bakery, in a shopping center with stores like Food Emporium.

The entrepreneur said after selling her accounting business in 2016, she became interested in owning a franchise. She reached out to creator and co-owner Zachary Schmahl and Johnny Polizzi, chief operating officer and co-owner of the franchise.

The duo, who Grayson described as "creative geniuses," had been looking to expand, and felt Long Island was a good fit.

The business opened its first franchise store in Englewood, New Jersey, last month and is in the process of launching stores in Union Square and San Diego.

"When you go into their store, you remember that experience," said Grayson. "You may not necessarily remember the exact cookie you had, but you remember feeling good."

The location also aligns with the bakery’s values, Grayson said.

Growing up in Nassau County, Grayson said Roslyn Kosher Foods was a staple of the community. As a student of Herricks Hills High School, Grayson said she and friends would hang out at Vincent's Pizza after school, which was in the same shopping center as Roslyn Kosher Foods. 

"My heart started to pound when I realized it was Roslyn Kosher. It just all sort of made sense to me," said Grayson, when her broker told her the location. "It's really just something that I think was meant to be."

From kitchen to bakery

Schmahl moved to Manhattan from Nebraska in 2011 to pursue a theater career.

Finding the Big Apple a stressful place to live, he began baking cookies in his 400-square-foot apartment in Hell’s Kitchen.

"That was kind of my way to relieve stress, was just bake and give my friends cookies," he said.

Amazed by his talents, friends encouraged him to monetize his hobby.

One year later, Schmahl opened his first store on West 45th Street and 9th Avenue and dubbed "Schmackary’s," a combination of his first and last names.

Its proximity to the Theater District quickly drew large crowds.

Pedestrians walking by are easily enticed to enter, thanks to a vent connected to the kitchen’s oven, shooting the warm scents of chocolate, butter, and freshly baked cookies to the storefront.

"From Day One, we had a line out the door, and it never went away," said Schmahl.

His acting background helped him spread the word, and he soon began delivering cookies to casts and crew at Broadway theaters.

Since then, the partnership between Broadway and Schmackary’s has grown. Almost every month, the bakery partners with a different Broadway show to create a limited time treat.

Schmackary’s holds an annual fundraiser called "Broadway Bakes" where actors in running shows work behind the counter to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which helps people affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other life-threatening illnesses.

This value of community is something the company hopes to continue at its Long Island franchise, Schmahl said.

"No matter where we go, we really want to be a pillar of the community," he said. "We focus on Midwestern hospitality, which is something that we feel has gotten lost over the years, as people are going so digital."

Grayson intends to reach out to community groups like schools and hospitals to plan appreciation events, she said. She is working to find a local brand of coffee to use in the Albertson store.

Although some businesses shy away from physical interaction with do it yourself or kiosks, Schmackary’s strives to lean into personal interactions. Every customer will be greeted with a smile, Polizzi said. And when you point to a cookie in a display, you’ll get that exact cookie — not something that’s taken out from the back or a refrigerator.

"We have become this community bake shop that really doesn't feel like it belongs in the world anymore, and that's exactly why it belongs in the world," said Schmahl.