Last week Plum Dandy Cookies & Milk—located at 55 Railroad Place (right in town next to the movie theater)—had a sign on their door reading “closed for vacation.” As the week went on they also deleted their Facebook and Twitter accounts, and their website. During this time, they did not answer the phone or say how long their “vacation” was going to be.
Truth is, there was no “vacation.” “Plum Dandy Cookies & Milk has permanently closed its doors,” said owner Philip Levitas. “We were unable to sufficiently operate this business after the losses sustained from our failed ventures in Malta and Troy,” said Levitas. Both business in Malta and Troy closed last year.
Plum Dandy Yogurt on Broadway will remain open, but is under new ownership. “I will say that I am confident the new owners will continue to operate Plum Dandy Yogurt with the quality and care that our customers have come to expect,” said Levitas.
Cookies & Milk was a relatively new business in Saratoga Springs as it opened its doors on September 6th 2013. Seniors might remember the days before Cookies & Milk, but for every other Skidmore student, Cookies & Milk has been a part of Saratoga for as long as we have been students here. It was not uncommon for clubs to advertise that their events were going to have food from Cookies & Milk. Having these cookies was always a big attraction for students, and a great way to get people to come to on-campus events.
For two sophomores Gabby Ponzini and Natalie Sternberg, who run the Instagram Saratoga Food Adventures, the news of the closure is very upsetting. They posted a final picture on their account sharing their love for Plum Dandy Cookies & Milk. Their post reads, “A very sad day. RIP @plumdandycokiesandmilk. For the last few years you have made us smile giving us a destination to hang out and enjoy delicious warm treats. Thank you for the memories…We will miss you and dream of our last time eating your cookies #saratogafoodadventures.”
Many people commented on their picture saying they hoped Plum Dandy Yogurt would start serving their cookies but Levitas said, “The Plum Dandy cookie recipes are proprietary to Plum Dandy Cookies and not available for other use. So, no, Plum Dandy Yogurt will not offer our cookies.”
Skidmore Spoon University Instagram account @spoon_skidmore, run by sophomore Ruby Siege, also posted a final RIP picture that read, “we were BEYOND sad to hear that one of our favorite spots has closed. RIP cookies and milk, you will be missed.”
“We sincerely appreciate the patronage and support of Skidmore students and faculty over the years. We are grateful for the opportunity we had to serve you,” said Levitas.
Above is all the news I had as of the morning on Thursday February 18th, but then around 3:50 pm, Levitas shared a huge piece of news for all Cookies & Milk fans: “There has been a development. We are working all avenues in order to keep the business going, even looking for new ownership. The shop will remain closed but hopefully only temporarily.”