SILVER HILL HOSPITAL
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DECEMBER 3, 2018 | VOL. 54, No. 49
YOUR ONLY SOURCE FOR REGIONAL BUSINESS NEWS
westfaironline.com
CBRE forecasts solid traffic for holiday shopping season
BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com
A Susan Schmitt and her Painted Cookie creations. Photos by Phil Hall
The Painted Cookie takes a grandmother’s recipe to business baking success
BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com
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f one takes a peek into the kitchen of Susan Schmitt’s Wilton-based bakery The Painted Cookie, a sign reading “Home is Where the Cookies Are” can be seen on prominent display. Indeed, the sense of hominess permeates this bakery, now in its fifth year in business. “It was grandma’s recipe,” said Schmitt about the foundation of her baking business, adding that she “enhanced it with two other spices” without betraying a hint of her proprietary ingredient list. Schmitt also acknowledged that the idea for the bakery emerged during her years as a stay-at-home mother: her two sons
have nut allergies, thus requiring her to create their favorite treats in her kitchen to ensure that no trace of nuts would be found in the cookies. Over time, Schmitt added, she began consulting cookie blogs and became a bit more adventurous in her baking. “I was doing it as a hobby out of the house and donating to our church and some local places in town,” she recalled. “People started asking for cookies and Connecticut didn’t have a cottage law then, so the next step was to come here.” Schmitt opened The Painted Cookie in a 625-square-foot retail space at 196 Danbury Road in Wilton in January 2013. Since the recipes from her home kitchen were all » PAINTED COOKIE
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renewed interest by national retailers in Fairfield County’s top shopping districts should translate into a very happy holiday season at the cash register, according to a new report from CBRE. “We’ve seen renewed interest from national retailers in both Westport and in Greenwich recently, which bodes well for the overall economics of these areas and how we expect they will perform this holiday season,” said Jessica Curtis, senior vice president and restaurant practice leader at CBRE in Stamford. “For example, on Main Street in Westport several big-name brands, like Williams Sonoma, Lululemon and Peloton, have recently taken new space or have plans to expand their presence. In Greenwich, we have seen openings by Warby Parker, Frame Denim and Fjallraven.” Curtis added that the presence of these retailers sends a reaffirming message that Fairfield County is still a prime location for shopping. CBRE also noted that Fairfield County was outperforming Westchester County for retail sales. During the first half of 2018, Fairfield County’s retail sales growth was » CBRE
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