Arezou Appel, the founder of Zooies Cookies, was born in Tehran where she lived until she was five years old. She remembers her parents, who were both educators with strong personalities, disagreeing about many things — except food. "Food was a time where everything looked and felt amazing," Appel says. "The food we had was traditional, really good Persian food, which is very healthy with a lot of herbs, vegetables, fruit, and nuts. [My mom] would do non-Persian food as well because we lived here from the time I was five until I was seven. That was right before the Revolution in Iran, so the food from here also became something she was making."
Appel became a chiropractor and practiced for eight years before studying Chinese medicine. While doing a rotation at Beijing Hospital, she met her husband. After they married and had their first child, Appel left her practice to raise her children but her urge to care for people never left. Once her oldest daughter started preschool, Appel realized the sweets she was limiting at home couldn't be avoided. Seeing all the additives in store-bought cookies was a turnoff so she started making her own. They were so good, she started selling the cookies out of a West LA gas station that her husband owned.
The 9 Layer Bar features pecans, walnuts, chocolate, butterscotch chips, and shredded coconut. Photo by Danielle Venus.
The ability to pump gas and grab a cookie helped both businesses. These days, people often show up just for the cookies. Appel sells up to 3,000 of them a day.
Texture and flavors are crucial. A crisp exterior, a soft center, and different notes of chocolate are hallmarks of her creations. From the graham cracker to the marshmallow, everything is made at the gas station.
"Because of my background, that I took care of patients for the years I did, I am so aware that the world is made out of so many types of people and needs," Appel says. ". I wanted Zooies to be a place for people [where] everybody is included. That's why we do have gluten-free, diabetic-friendly, paleo, and vegan."