NEED TO KNOW
- A 24-year-old woman left her career with the FBI to pursue her dream of launching a cookie business
- Kendall Feighan officially opened Just Chippy’s in New York on Jan. 13
- “Opening Just Chippy’s is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl — and even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined it could be this sweet,” she told PEOPLE
A woman left her job with the FBI to pursue a lifelong dream: baking cookies.
Kendall Feighan, 24, of White Plains, N.Y., began her career investigating crimes for the government agency in Virginia, per LoHud.com, the digital platform of The Journal News.
However, her true passion has always been baking, so she eventually opted to leave the FBI to move back home, where she attended the International Culinary Center while waitressing and working at a bagel shop, the outlet reported.
Feighan launched a cookie business from her apartment last March and began selling her baked goods at a local farmer’s market. The ultra-soft, locally-sourced cookies were such a hit that Feighan quickly set her sights even higher, and she opened a brick-and-mortar store, playfully named Just Chippy’s, in North White Plains on Jan. 13.
“Opening Just Chippy’s is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl — and even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined it could be this sweet,” Feighan tells PEOPLE exclusively. “From the moment we open to the moment we close, the line has been out the door. Watching people buy cookies, take a few steps toward their car while eating them, then turn right back around to grab more before they even make it there has been surreal.”
“It’s overwhelming in the best way, and a reminder of why I started in the first place,” she continues.
Feighan, who helped build the business with her brother, Colman Feighan, oversaw everything from the curated cookie menu to the shop’s cheerful purple aesthetic — complete with a stencil on the floor that reads: “Life’s too short to be anything other than Just Chippy’s.”
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Family overall played a big part in bringing the business to life, Feighan explains.
“Their influence is woven into every part of Just Chippy’s. Sparky’s Sprinkles is named after my grandfather Sparky, who taught me how to run a farm stand when I was little. Nan’s Blueberry Best honors my Grandma Nanny, who taught me how to bake. Col’s Chocolate Craze is named after my brother Colman, who does everything behind the scenes to keep Just Chippy’s running,” she says. “Each cookie tells a piece of our family’s story.”
The shop’s exterior also features an illustration of her grandparents, who lived half a mile down the road from her growing up, along with old photos of Feighan baking.
Feighan tells PEOPLE her background with the FBI “reinforced discipline and precision — values my parents and grandparents instilled in me from a very young age, and ones I always hoped to embody.”
“Working there pushed me to operate with intention, strengthened my work ethic and taught me that every single detail matters, and that mindset carries directly into Just Chippy’s,” she further explains. “Our cookies are small-batch and made with high-quality ingredients because, while it may be ‘just a cookie,’ it’s really so much more than that.”
The 24-year-old continues, “Every step, every ingredient and every interaction matters. My hope is that each cookie feels like a warm hug — something that spreads comfort, smiles and a little bit of sweetness beyond the bite.”
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“From a very young age, my mom always told me, ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,’ ” Feighan recalls.
“Because of that, my loved ones have been nothing but supportive throughout this journey. Family is at the core of everything I do — both personally and professionally — and I’m incredibly grateful for the support system that surrounds me,” she adds.
As for her go-to advice for others thinking of making major professional and personal changes in their lives in the same way she did, Feighan tells PEOPLE, “Dreams don’t work unless you do.”
“I opened my own business because I didn’t want to work 9 to 5, so now instead, I work 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is not always going to be easy, but if you can dream it, then you can do it,” she says. “The only cheat code to success is discipline and consistency.”
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