Sweet shop opens in mom's memory

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy staff

Sarah Lamas lost her beloved mother, Laura Moreno, to breast cancer in 2005. Now she is using sweetness to attack the disease that took her mom.

Sarah has dedicated her new sweet shop, Fudgi Island Cookie Co., 17133 S. 88th Avenue in Tinley Park, to the memory of her mother, who introduced Sarah to the old family tradition of Fudge Island cookies. Sarah said 10 percent of the profits from cookie sales is donated to the American Cancer Society.

What you might ask exactly is a Fudge Island cookie?

"The cookies are fudge-filled with walnuts," Sarah explained, adding that her grandmother invented them.

Sarah may make the cookies with love, but it was husband, Arturo Lamas, who said she should share them with the world.

"My husband was the idea behind the company," she said, adding she was leery at first of opening a business in today's uncertain economy. "But people are still splurging on sweets, and we make a great cookie. We're going to succeed."

Besides cookies, Fudgi Island also sells the homemade fudge used in the cookies, ice cream supplied by Gayety's in Lansing and chocolates.

Sarah said the cookies are also for sale at Berkot's supermarket in Mokena ($3.99 a bag). "So far, it's just the Mokena store," Sarah said. "We're trying to get them in more grocery stores."

That's heady success for the Calumet City native who is only 24 and whose previous work experience was as a cosmetologist.

Fudgi Island opened Oct. 16 and will hold a ribbon cutting, grand opening and business after hours for the Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday. As part of its grand opening, Sarah said sundaes will be half-off Thursday and Friday.

Sarah said another promotion will last until at least February. "Anyone who comes in wearing breast cancer awareness clothing or merchandise will get a free bag of cookies," she said.