Sophie’s Dough is Your Sweet Tooth’s Dream Come True

Kingstowne resident opened store that sells edible cookie dough and other sweet treats.

by

There is something about raw cookie dough and it’s gooey texture that makes us want to sneak a bite (or two!) before it makes it to the oven. Unfortunately, most cookie dough isn’t safe to eat raw due to risk of getting salmonella or some other food-borne illness from raw eggs or flour.

Cue Sophie’s Dough. The sweets shop located in Springfield Town Center was started by Kingstowne resident Sophia Fellers. 

“Being in the hospitality industry, it was only natural that I wanted to do my own thing, I didn’t want to work for anyone, so I decided to open my own business. I just wasn’t sure what it was going to be and then I landed on cookie dough because I’ve always loved it, but it’s not usually edible,” explained Fellers. She knew there had to be a way to make cookie dough that was safe to eat. A similar concept existed in New York City but she wanted to find a way to bring the idea to her native area.

Fellers got to work creating her own flavors and recipes that doesn’t use eggs and uses heat-treated flour so it is safe to eat raw. She opened her first shop in a kiosk at Pentagon City Mall in December 2017 but quickly realized it wasn’t the right location for a number of reasons — primarily the lack of free parking and the mostly office-worker clientele. She moved to her current location at Springfield Town Center at the end of 2018.  

In case you were curious, technically the cookie dough can be baked but because of the lack of eggs as a binding agent, they would come out crumbly. They still taste good and you could always sprinkle the cookie pieces on top of ice cream, according to Fellers.

There is truly something to satisfy every sugar craving at the shop. “Definitely kids love it but surprisingly we get a ton of adults, with no kids, and when they come they are overwhelmed and their eyes light up when they realize it’s cookie dough,” Fellers explained with a smile.

Sophie’s Dough specializes in edible cookie dough made fresh from Fellers’ personal recipes. Fellers sells eight main flavors plus seasonal flavors. The regular chocolate chip cookie dough is her top seller followed by birthday cake, which is Feller’s personal favorite. Other flavors are unicorn dough, cookie monster, strawberry shortcake, devil’s dough, more cookies, and gimmie s’more. Examples of seasonal flavors include pumpkin cheesecake in the fall, a cookie dough with peppermint for the holidays and banana cream pudding in the summer.

Cookie dough is far from the only thing on the menu at Sophie’s Dough. The shop also sells eight different ice cream flavors which complement the cookie dough, as well as cookie dough cake pops, shakes, cannoli and marshmallow cereal treat or cookie sandwiches. Guests can also order bubble waffles, also known as Hong Kong waffles which are served with different toppings. The shop offers  Italian sodas, which is soda mixed with different flavored syrups and cream, as well as coffee and espresso drinks. Cupcakes with cookie dough frosting can be made via special order.

As a woman and minority-owned small business, Fellers has mostly advertised via social media and word of mouth, but she was beginning to build momentum before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the mall in Springfield closed for two months. Even when it did reopen, some stores had permanently closed and foot traffic was down overall. It was almost like starting over again. “We’ve been trying to get back to where we were. We are fortunate that we survived though,” said Fellers.

Fellers is hoping that the 32,000 square feet Lego Discovery Center set to open in the bottom level of Springfield Town Center in 2023 will only bring more business to the mall and the shop. She is also currently scouting for a second location in Fairfax, Alexandria or Arlington. Someday she would love to open four or five different locations in the area and possibly open a restaurant which serves American dishes with a touch of Moroccan influence, a nod to her heritage, and craft cocktails.

You can visit Sophie’s Dough at ​6500 Springfield Mall, Springfield, VA 22150. If you enter the main mall entrance, the shop is located on the upper level after the first left. Your sweet tooth will thank you.

Advertisement