Emily's Story

Em's Cafe carries on the cookie legacy Emily Raffel built over more than 50 years of baking for the people she loves. Her daughters, Nicki and Maggie, started Em's Cafe so more people get one.

Emily Raffel with her daughters Nicki and Maggie in the kitchen
Emily Raffel mixing chocolate chip cookie dough by handEmily Raffel and her daughters holding up a dough-covered mixer paddle

Emily's Story

She never really wanted to sell her cookies. She wanted to share them.

For more than 50 years, our mom, Emily Raffel, has been making cookies for the people she loves.

  • Birthdays
  • School parties
  • Sports teams
  • Friends
  • Family
  • The people at her salon
  • Special customers at Raffel's Catering

If Mom thought you needed a little love, there was a pretty good chance that love was going to arrive in the form of a cookie.

People begged her to sell them.She never really wanted to.

Not because she didn't think they were good. She knew they were good. She just never wanted something she loved giving away to become something people expected her to change.

So the cookies remained a bit of a family secret.

Until now.

We're Emily's daughters, Nicki and Maggie, and Em's Cafe is our way of sharing a little more of our mom with all of you.

Every cookie we sell today is Maggie's.She's rediscovering Mom's recipes one batch at a time.And together, we're keeping Mom's legacy going.

Made by Family. Made for Sharing.

A Little Island Attitude

Our mom believed in taking a breath. Slowing down. Laughing a little louder. Sharing something good with somebody you love.

Around here, we call it a little Caribbean attitude.

Life's Short.Eat a Cookie.

Emily Raffel smiling with a bouquet of daisies and yellow roses while getting a hug

Feeding more than your cookie craving?

Em's Cafe grew up inside a family that's been feeding Cincinnati for generations.

If you're planning a corporate event, celebration, wedding or gathering that requires slightly more than a Baker's Dozen, our family at Raffel's Catering has you covered.

I need catering