The same day Ashley R. Carlton decided to throw himself headfirst into his longtime dream of starting a cookie business, his wife told him she was pregnant with their third child.
I said, ‘If I don’t start this now, I’m never going to start it," Carlton said.
Not long after, Not As Famous Cookie Company (with the tagline, “But better than”) was born as a food truck, with the goal to eventually acquire a brick-and-mortar location.
Carlton will take the next step in his entrepreneurial journey this fall when he opens a permanent location of Not As Famous at 2420 Atlanta Road in Smyrna.
Carlton said he fell in love with the space two years ago when he first started looking at brick-and-mortar locations, but another business snagged it. When the coronavirus pandemic derailed his plans to open a store in Marietta, he learned that the Smyrna space was available again and pounced.
When it opens, Not As Famous will offer cookies found on the food truck, with classic flavors including chocolate chip, butter pecan and oatmeal raisin, and signature options such as Mississippi Mud, peanut butter chocolate chip with pretzels, and red velvet macadamia nut. Other offerings include cookie shakes and cakes, cookie ice cream sandwiches, vegan and gluten-free options along with a few specials not sold on the truck.
Carlton, who uses recipes his father developed more than 35 years ago to bake Not As Famous' creations, said he will continue to operate the truck as normal after the Smyrna location opens. Before the pandemic, the truck was booked regularly for movie sets and for special events including weddings and bar mitzvahs.
Tentative hours for Not As Famous in Smyrna will be 2-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, noon-11 p.m. Saturdays and 2-7 p.m. Sundays.
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