Naples business woman is Baking up a Storm.
Kristi’s Key Lime Cookies are a legend in Naples, FL, and for a good reason. The secret to these cookies is that they are made with real key limes and not the regular lime juice from concentrate.
The key limes are juiced before being mixed with the other ingredients, which gives them a unique flavor and texture all their own. The cookies themselves are also made with butter rather than oil, which makes them extra soft and delicious.
The story of Kristi’s Key Lime Cookies begins with Kim Casciero, who could not work her financial job because she was a full-time caregiver to her parents. In 2010 Kim’s brother passed away, and her parents both had Dementia, and she moved them to FL with her to take care of them.
One day while sitting on the beach, a thought crossed her mind, “How am I going to pay my mortgage?”.” That was the time the idea of starting Key Lime cookies emerged in her mind. As she loved to bake and thought they did not have a good Key Lime cookie, so she did her R & D and 9 months later started marketing them. The young woman who started in business in 2009, supplying cakes and cheesecakes to country clubs and restaurants―started her own company―Kristi’s Key Lime Cookies, in 2011.
Kim has been making these cookies for years, and she’s never been happier with her business than she is now. When we talked to her and asked her about what makes her proud of her business, her reply was so humble. She said she’s first most proud of her employees. She remarked, “We have an awesome team that loves coming to work every day with a smile and great attitude. We all work so well together. They take pride in what they do, and it shows. I respect them, and they respect me. It’s a win-win!”
While continuing, she asserted, “Second, I am proud of how we have grown. With the business starting out as a necessity to pay the bills and take care of my parents, it has become a great product to represent Florida. We continue to grow and Spread the Yumminess each and every day to Florida and beyond!”
When Naples News Now asked what makes Kristi’s Key Lime Cookies so unique, Kim’s answer was, “Our company is truly unique because we have a hand-crafted gourmet cookie that represents Florida. Kristi’s Key Lime Cookies always strives to please customers by going above and beyond to provide the best product that they are proud to carry in their hotels, gift stores, gourmet markets, or to use as a gift to represent or promote their company.”
Kristi’s Key Lime Cookies are perfect for corporate events, conferences, and conventions, Swag Bags and room drops, Wedding Favors, Hotel Amenities, Gourmet Food Markets, Special Occasions, Get Well, Birthday, Anniversary gifts, etc. The company ships the cookies all over the USA and the Caribbean. They have a great ecommerce website for ordering. Hotels use their cookies for marketing to promote corporations to stay at their hotels etc.
During our discussion, while answering a question about what attributes to company success, Kim’s answer was, “We pride ourselves in being freshly baked with premium ingredients and excellent customer service. We actually go out and visit our customers on a regular basis to thank them for their business. Old fashion marketing really does work and still exists with us. We listen to our clients and make things work.”
The company is well known for the quality of its cookies, packaging, and customer service. While our talk with Casciero, she told us, “A really great day for our company is when we get a referred client and a phone call thanking us for our attention to detail, customer service, and for producing a great product. We LOVE our clients!”
Aside from her company, when we asked Kim about herself, she smiled and replied, “I visited Naples in 1980 and decided the minute I walked on Vanderbilt Beach I decided I was going to live here. I bought my first house in 1988 and became a snowbird.”
While reminiscing old times, she asserted, “Then in 2007, I built a home here and have been a full-time resident since. I am a beach and water baby. Naples is the best place to live, and I LOVE it here! I love to travel and explore new places. Love, love to cook, and bake! I am a foodie (I am Italian – the love of food is a given). I love my friends. I have a perfect princess kitty named Amber.”
Kristi’s Key Lime Cookies are a favorite among many home cooks and professionals alike in Florida. They LOVE to Spread the Yumminess and promote their Great state of Florida and Naple with their Florida original product. Don’t forget to check their cookies and support them, as in Kim’s words, “The local community should buy and support local businesses because they know what the local consumer wants.”
Naples News Now will certainly be using Kristi Key Lime Cookies for their corporate events!