Thin Cookies Opening Hicksville Storefront To Expand Business

HICKSVILLE, NY — The cookie craze that is sweeping the nation is taking on a new flavor here on Long Island: incredibly thin, incredibly chewy cookies bursting with flavor.

Thin Cookies is branching out and opening a storefront in Hicksville this summer. Run by husband and wife Yoseph Raja and Zohal Azimi Raja, the two sell deliciously thin cookies that are still soft and chewy. They were somewhat inspired by another Long Island thin-cookie company, Tate's of Southampton (but chewy instead of crispy).

The business started in 2021, during the Covid pandemic, but its roots go back further. Zohal's father runs a Middle Eastern bakery in Queens, so she grew up surrounded by baking, and learned the art herself.

"I'm the friend who people always ask to bake a cake," she said.

One day, Yoseph mentioned how he liked thin cookies, but hated how crunchy they were. So Zohal experimented in their kitchen until she perfected her recipe for thin, chewy cookies. And everyone who tried them loved them.

Zohal, a former graphic designer, started baking more.

"COVID gave me more time because I started working from home," she said. She would be on a call at work, then run to the kitchen to put a batch of cookies in the oven, then run back to her computer.

Zohal baked more cookies at home, and the couple (although Yoseph is the first to admit that Zohal does the lion's share of the work) decided to sell them. They had family friends in the food business who agreed to sell Thin Cookies in their stores. Zohal quit her job to focus on baking full time, and the business grew.

After a few months of their Hicksville home being taken over by baking cookies, they rented a commercial kitchen in Long Island City to expand their business. As time went on and orders increased, they had to start renting more time in the kitchen. Thin Cookies are currently sold in 30 stores across Long Island, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.

Now, they're at the point where they need to open their own kitchen in order to meet demand.

The Thin Cookies storefront, which is located on Jerusalem Avenue, is a large space. The majority of it will be a kitchen, where people who come in can see — and smell — baking cookies. There will be a small seating area, and cookies available for purchase in the store. But the bulk of the business will remain wholesale to other businesses.

Right now, Thin Cookies come in three flavors: chocolate chip, double chocolate chip and snickerdoodle. But once the store opens, Zohal plans to expand the offerings. She said she's already worked out thin cookie recipes for other favorites, like oatmeal raisin, red velvet and sugar cookies.

The cookies come in packs of three or four, and packs will be about $4, said Zohal.

Though Thin Cookies only sells to businesses right now, you may have seen them around the Hicksville area. In 2021, they won a contest to have a kiosk in the Broadway Mall during the holiday season. Shoppers in the mall were able to get Thin Cookies from November through January. They also rented a small spot at the Smith Haven Mall for a few weeks.

But the storefront is the next big step for the business. It is located within walking distance of their home, which is an extra benefit for the couple, who just welcomed their son Subhan. It also means they can keep their business local.

There are already plans to offer Thin Cookies in more locations once the storefront opens and they can bake more.