Former Cedarville student launches Church Street Cookies

by Anna Grace Galkin

In the past six years, more than three owners have cycled through the big-windowed shop nestled near the corner of Main Street and Xenia Avenue. But, in early March, Morgan Rubosky made her finishing touches to the store, set out her chalk sign  and announced the opening of Church Street Cookies. As the newest addition to the village of Cedarville, Ohio, Morgan is striving to provide her neighbors with a constant source of encouragement and sweets — one homemade cookie at a time. 

Morgan’s cookie career began at age 14, as she watched her parents bake and sell sugar cookies out of their home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Morgan quickly learned her mom’s cookie recipe and began working part-time alongside her parents. Soon, the Rubosky family was mixing and icing and selling 400-500 cookies each week.

Owner Morgan Rubosky showcases the most popular cookies: molasses.
[Photos by Katrina Wiebe]

As her high school years progressed, Morgan applied to Cedarville University and eventually enrolled in 2013. Her freshman year began a season of changes in her life, including moving four hours away from her hometown. This distance complicated her ability to visit her parents when they both unexpectedly lost their jobs within six weeks of each other. 

With an unstable family income, Morgan’s tuition bill threatened to end her time at Cedarville.  But, in another turn of events, her dad was offered a marketing position at Cedarville University, prompting her entire family to relocate to Xenia. Morgan’s mother also accepted a job in Cedarville’s admissions office, allowing Morgan to continue her education at Cedarville. 

Despite these transitions, the Ruboskys continued their cookie-making tradition throughout Morgan’s education, taking advantage of Ohio’s cottage food laws to package and sell their cookies to other local businesses.

In 2017, after Morgan completed her undergraduate in Christian education and youth ministry, she interned at a church in Pittsburgh. She eventually returned to Ohio. And while assisting a local church youth group, she prepared to go on an 11-month missions program called World Race.

Morgan explained her experience of traveling with World Race and ministering to a new nationality almost every couple of weeks.

She said, “The Lord grew me in so many ways … grew in a boldness and confidence in who God is and that He is going to provide in every situation.”

Her expanded knowledge of God and her opportunities to serve overseas would benefit Morgan even as she transitioned back to life in Xenia. 

While Morgan had been abroad, her parents had become hesitant to continue the demanding cookie business. So, Morgan, in addition to working 20 hours at a coffee shop, decided to take over the family business. 

Morgan said that the business “took off again more than I ever expected it to … cookies were turning into a full-time job by mid-September.” 

In December of 2020, when Morgan was trying to meet the holiday demands, she realized her need to focus on either her cookies or her part-time barista job. Without warning, Morgan was offered a commercial space on Main Street for her growing business. 

Morgan said, “Within two to three weeks, I was signing leases.”

 The day after Christmas, Morgan moved into the shop and spent all of January and February transforming the space into a unique and welcoming space. Switching from small home-kitchen batches to commercial equipment was a transition but allowed her to continue providing the same homemade cookies to both individuals and local businesses. 

Morgan decided to open her Church Street Cookies slowly. However, on the first day, Morgan struggled to keep up with the number of curious customers. 

“The town has been so receptive and has blown away every expectation that I could have had,” she said. “Opening a storefront was never something I was anticipating doing. The best adventures come out of just doing what the Lord has for you next.”

Morgan uses her space on Main Street to provide Cedarville with a bakery as well as a source of encouragement. Whether through putting up the store’s new prayer wall or buying her supplies from a company fighting sex trafficking, Morgan wants “just a cookie” to symbolize the ministry of her business as a whole. 

Four years out of college, Morgan is thrilled to be back in Cedarville as “one of those consistent parts of the student’s college career.” 

After playing a part in her life, Morgan’s family, friends, and former Cedarville professors heartily support her return to Cedarville. Their encouragement, along with each guest looking to satisfy their sweet tooth, represents the community needed to ensure that Morgan’s shop continues to thrive as Cedarville’s very own Church Street Cookies.

Anna Grace Galkin is a sophomore English Major, who tutors at the campus writing center and reports for Cedars. In her spare time, you can find her sipping an Earl Grey, passing a soccer ball, meeting new people, or off on an adventure with friends.