Photo by Emma Delk The line stretched around the building as customers were eager for Crumbl Cookies to open their doors at the grand opening on Friday.

TRIADELPHIA — The Ohio Valley got a lot sweeter on Friday with the opening of the new locally owned and operated Crumbl Cookies at The Highlands. The first cookie connoisseurs began queuing at 6:15 a.m. for the grand opening, while other eager customers were willing to wait up to an hour in line for a taste of the first batch of cookies.

Crumbl Cookies sets itself apart from other dessert shops as it offers six unique flavors on a weekly rotational menu. At the opening, customers could enjoy a classic chocolate chip flavor or try something more out-of-the-box, such as a milk-glazed sugar cookie topped with fruity pebbles or a blueberry cheesecake flavor with a creamy cheesecake frosting and fresh blueberry topping.

The highlight of this week’s lineup was the cookie dough flavor. This cookie does not come hot out of the oven but instead is a chilled brown sugar cookie topped with cookie dough buttercream and chunks of cookie dough pieces.

Two eager customers who were willing to wait out the line were Lynne and Carri Kolenich, a mother and daughter who frequent Crumbl Cookies. Lynne Kolenich said that the two had been to the store “many times,” and they were thrilled to finally have an Ohio Valley location.

“It’s gonna be a lot more convenient for us since we used to go to Clevland to get our fix,” said Kolenich.

The unanimous favorite among the two was the churro cookie, which is a snickerdoodle topped with cinnamon buttercream and a dusting of cinnamon sugar on top. They were excited to see the flavor on the menu this week.

Mark Ornowski, who owns the Highlands location with his wife Tammy Ornowski, cited the weekly menu as the appeal of the store. He explained that if one batch of flavors does not stick out to a customer, they can always come back next week and see what’s new.

The Highlands Crumbl Cookies is the first Ohio Valley location for the chain, with Ornowski saying The Highlands was the perfect choice for the couple as it offered “everything” they wanted location-wise.

“It’s all about location,” he added. “We visited some of the best shopping centers across the tri-state area, and The Highlands had it all.”

The couple signed the lease for the location in October 2023, with build-out on the restaurant beginning in March this year. Ornowski said the process to get them opened and making cookies on Friday was “long but rewarding.”

“It’s been a lot of work,” said Ornowski. “I had to hire a lot of employees and buy a lot of ingredients to get us here making cookies today.”

Apart from the weekly menu, Ornowski believes the dedicated employees that prepare the cookies right in front of customers and the store’s delicious ingredients will keep customers coming back.

“Everything here is the best in class,” he explained. “Especially the menu because there’s always something different that everyone’s always talking about.”

Ornowski teased an upcoming mystery cookie, the flavor of which will be decided by the owners. The Highlands Crumbl Cookies will reveal its mystery flavor in “a week or two,” said Ornowski, and will be “a big surprise.”

“Individuals come from all over to experience the mystery cookie and see if it is one of their favorites on the menu,” he added.

Beyond satisfying sweet tooths the store will also be providing over 60 career opportunities to Triadelphia locals.

“Everyone is just here to enjoy cookies, whether they’re in front of or behind the counter,” said Ornowski.