The Occasional Cookie no more

SANDUSKY — After more than two decades of serving up sweets, the Occasional Cookie and More has closed. The local business, on Hayes Avenue (Ohio 4) across from Firelands Regional Medical Center in Sandusky, officially ended operations in late October. "We'd like to thank all the wonderful people who have supported our business over the last 20 years," according to a post from the business. Baking up something special The quaint cookie shop began as an in-home bakery that offered pick-up services for pre-ordered confections by a couple: Ruth and George Smith. They would come to be joined by Sandusky native Ginger Rausch-Cusano, a former school teacher and lifelong baking hobbyist. Rausch-Casano would eventually take over the business in 2005 and relocate it to Hayes Avenue next to her established business, Golden Rose Florists. "There was a doctor who had the building, and I approached him. He said he was moving his practice out of town and was more than happy to sell me the building," Rausch-Cusano explained. "Before it could actually be opened, my nephew, who was an architect, drew up the plans, and his company came in and did all the revisions to everything to make it more bakery, less doctor's office." Once the Occasional Cookie went brick and mortar, its popularity skyrocketed. Along with its proximity to Firelands Regional Medical Center, making it a convenient stop for get-well-soon treats, the bakery found itself with an abundance of business stemming from special celebrations, such as weddings, birthdays, holidays and more. Soon enough, the Occasional Cookie had a reputation for mouthwatering excellence that preceded this business coupled with a loyal customer base. In some cases, Rausch-Casano even recalled seeing multi-generations of customers from the same family. "We'd get adults in here who would talk about how, 'Oh my mom used to bring me in here.' I'd remember a lot of them from being in a stroller, picking out a cookie," Rausch-Causano reminisced with a smile. "We've had people who used to bring their kids in when they were little come back because now those kids are getting married and they need cookies for a bridal shower." Bringing on Bendetta As business boomed, Rausch-Casano brought aboard another baker. Giovanni Bendetta is a successful hair stylist who has owned and operated Heavenly Hair in Sandusky for more than 30 years. Along the way, he had become a regular customer turned friend of Rausch-Casano. As it turned out, Bendetta was multi-talented far past a salon setting, and he would come to join forces with his baker friend as the Occasional Cookie's "cookie guy." Fond farewell All their customers are sad to see them go, but Rausch-Casano is more on the sweet side of the bittersweet end, as she is excited for her next great adventure: retirement. She plans to spend her newfound free time with friends and family, exploring other passions, new hobbies and baking more simply, just for herself and fun. "It just felt like the right time," Rausch-Casano said of her decision. "But I just want to thank the whole area for their support over the past 20 years. People have been so kind, and we're so grateful with how people have welcomed us into their lives; we will miss many of them." Should any baking enthusiast wish to dip a finger in the mixing bowl of business and continue the legacy of the Occasional Cookie, Rausch-Casano encourages them to reach out to her through the flower shop. Though she plans to keep the building it resides in, Rausch-Casano is open to selling the edible enterprise to the right person. Until such time, that's the way the cookie crumbles on one of Sandusky's sweetest spots.