STILLWATER — The sky doesn’t even stop the limits that Mia Villa is reaching.
The 4-year-old baker, who puts smiles on local heroes’ faces with batches of ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookies, is finding enough success to make some giant steps — ones that are also changing the lives of her family.
Villa’s mom, Devin, announced in February the family is opening Mommy and Me Bakery out of their garage by this summer. The mom of two is excited to have a bigger space for her daughter to bake her famous cookies and have space for herself to bake her own goodies that will be available via pre-order.
Photos by Devin Vil
“I’ve always dreamed of owning a bakery since I’ve always found my greatest memories are in the kitchen,” Devin Villa said. “Now that I have a daughter who loves to help me in the kitchen, we’ve far outgrown our small home kitchen and will need commercial space to keep up with the cookies we are putting out.”
Since The Spot 518 spoke with them last fall, the Villas have made hundreds of deliveries and are now selling Villa’s cookies. The cookie prodigy is now almost completely baking on her own, except for Mom’s help with the oven and scooping the cookie dough; Villa’s hands are still too small to grasp the device that portions her cookies. Devin Villa said her tiny hands are a reminder of Villa’s youth, even though her skills far surpass her age.
Villa was also able to use her talents to help her pet. Her cat, Bubs, needs surgery to remove a mass by his tail. When the Villas received a quote for the surgery, Villa decided she wanted to use her cookie sales to pay for Bubs’ surgery. As of March 3, not only has Villa made enough to pay in full for the procedure, but she’s also able to cover his pre- and post-surgery appointments.
Devin Villa reiterated Villa is holding the helm of her baking journey. If Villa were to decide tomorrow she didn’t want to bake anymore, her mom said she would happily oblige. However, Villa’s love is only deepening, to the point where her mom sees a potential for her love to become a life-long thing.
“Everything that Mia’s cookies earn goes right back into her cookie jar, which allows us to pay for supplies and now, write checks to local non-profits as a thank you for all they’ve contributed to our community,” Devin Villa said. “While Mia and I will be in the same room once we get the bakery done, our operations will be separated and everything Mia makes will be put toward official Mia’s Cookie Jar causes and expenses.”
The name of Mommy and Me Bakery holds more significance than just that of the mom-and-daughter duo. Devin Villa discovered her love for baking through her mom, a trend that extends several generations through the maternal line. The name is a homage to the traditions Devin Villa experienced as a child and the memories made with the women before her.
Villa’s younger brother is also showing some mild interest. Now that Villa is calling the shots, her brother is in charge of grabbing measuring cups and being her right-hand-man. Devin Villa said her son is just as visible in the kitchen as her daughter, whose perfectly-coiffed pigtails bounce every time she does her “mixer dance.”
As the Villas continue construction through the spring, Devin Villa is ecstatic to see how well Villa is responding to her inquiries.
“We’re busier than ever, yet she’s more excited than she’s ever been,” she concluded. “Whenever someone comes by to pick up a purchase, Mia is always running out the door with her mask to thank the customer. She’s so excited people are driving as far as two hours away just to taste her cookies.”
To purchase cookies from Mia’s Cookie Jar or nominate a local hero for a delivery, visit https://www.facebook.com/MiasCookieJar3.
