San Jose Mercury News
"Democratic Dough – He put his patriotism where his mixing bowl was."
Poor President Clinton, dogged these days by question on campaign contributions, Whitewater, Paula Jones and God knows what else. But to Tom Roach, Clinton always has been and always will be just two things — peanut butter and bananas.
After all, this is the San Francisco baker who bestowed Most Favored Cookie Status on the leader of the free world. He did so by naming a chewy peanut butter treat with chunks of bananas after Clinton — and it was crowned the official cookie of both inaugurations.
A staunch Democrat, Roach was so thrilled when Clinton was elected … that he put his patriotism where his mixing bowl was.
The result has been not only the Clinton Cookie, but the Heavenly Hillary, the Tipper Chipper and the Gore S’more.
The Washington Post
"And the winner is…"
The winner for the best snack names goes to Tom’s Cookies of San Francisco, which is providing free sweets at the balls: Clinton Cookie (peanut butter and banana), Heavenly Hillary (brownie with nuts), Tipper Chipper (chocolate chip with M&Ms), and Gore S’More, and updated, environmentally correct version of the campfire favorite (brownie, marshmallow creme, chocolate ganache and graham cracker).
USA Today
"The Inaugural Baker of O’Farrell Street"
Recipe for Success: Inaugural Baker Tom Roach of San Francisco. No one feels more connected to his government than Tom Roach of Tom’s Cookies, a 279 square foot storefront in San Francisco’s financial district that was named the official inaugural baker.
Napa Valley Register
"President sings ‘Hail to the Chef’"
He never dreamed a penchant for cookies would make him a fair-haired boy in White House circles. Nevertheless, Tom Roach’s cookies have indeed taken him to the nation’s capitol not once, but twice. …Responding to First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s well-publicized declaration that she had no intention of staying home to bake cookies, Roach volunteered to provide the munchies for the president’s inaugural festivities. …Roach informed the newly elected president that “nothing is more American than a great cookie made with farm-fresh ingredients.”
Lifestyles Magazine
"… if there’s an AIDS event or benefit coming up, I make sure they have plenty of cookies."
Move over Mrs. Fields. The newest baker on the block is Tom Roach, official cookie-maker for the Clinton White House. …Since the inauguration, business has mushroomed to more than $1 million in yearly sales.
Tom’s Cookies can be found in upscale shops, hotels and supermarkets all over the Bay Area, including Petrini’s, Andronico’s, and Macy’s Cellar.
Now that he’s made it, Roach is busy with a new project: ploughing his profits back into the community. He’s a big supporter of AIDS organizations, with both cash and cookies. “I keep my ear to the ground,” he says, “and if there’s an AIDS event or benefit coming up, I make sure they have plenty of cookies.”
The other beneficiary of his generosity is the San Francisco SPCA. “I thought about it for a long time,” he says. “I wanted to be like Ben & Jerry’s and find the right cause to support. It finally came down to my love for animals and the wonderful work they do at the SPCA. I make it a point to give them a portion of my profits every month.”
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How Tom’s Cookies Became World Famous
And a favorite at the White House
Since 1992 Tom’s name and cookies became known around the world. The now infamous incident where Hillary Clinton said she “didn’t have time to stay home and bake cookies” became Tom’s entrée to the White House. The quick-thinking baker wrote to President Clinton stating:
“…since Hillary has chosen not to stay home and bake cookies for the inauguration, I would like to offer my product and services to you…”
“… I feel my company represents the true backbone of our great country – small business. I employ three people and operate out of less than 300 square feet. While I may be small on space, I am big on visions and dreams for my business.”
The result: Tom served more than 60,000 of his delicious cookies at all of President Clinton’s first inaugural balls. (And, Tom’s Cookies were the only food to be served at all twelve events.) In 1997, Tom was again invited to treat the nation’s capital to his cookies at the Clinton/Gore inauguration. This time, Tom’s Cookies has the honor of being featured at both inaugurals (’93 and ’97).
San Francisco Chronicle
"Democratic Cookie Creations"
Hillary Clinton didn’t have to leave town empty handed. Her local friend from campaigns past, Tom Roach of Tom’s Cookies, whipped up a batch of what she called her favorite combo, brownies and pecans. He is now selling them as Heavenly Hillarys, to go along with his other Democratic creations, Tipper Chippers and Gore S’mores… (Herb Caen).
San Jose Mercury News
"Step aside, supermodels. Make way for the chef."
Move over, movie stars. Step aside, supermodels. These days nothing draws a crowd like a celebrity chef. San Francisco’s Tom’s Cookies, the official cookies at both Clinton inaugurations, makes fresh-baked cookies a breeze. Owner Tom Roach has packaged the dough for his chewy, gooey cookies in convenient cartons. The dough is already preportioned; all you do is bake. Don’t miss the peanut butter chocolate chip and cafe latte versions….
KCBS Radio – Food News
"KCBS’ Narsai David on Tom’s Cookies"
I’ve got to tell you, if you want to have some home-baked cookies and do not have the time, Tom’s Cookies is the way to go. I know it does not take a lot of time to put it together, but to be able to open a package – that is actually a one-quart plastic container with a dozen cookies in it that together weighs one pound and have already been formed into little balls — is fantastic!
Before I even considered tasting them, I read the ingredients… There is nothing artificial, there is nothing strange, there is no word that you cannot pronounce, and it’s all real honest to goodness normal ingredients.
San Jose Mercury News
"The sweet road of success"
Tipper Gore has been known to drop by the bake shop when she’s in town. Roach has been known to make special trips to the airport to load batches of cookies onto Air Force One. Pretty impressive doings for a guy who never went to college and who never took a cooking class. … Yet Roach has always had faith. He knew his cookie dream wouldn’t crumble. “I was so tenacious about it,” said the 41-year-old native San Franciscan who now lives in Napa. “I never lost the vision or the foresight. It was like a spiritual calling — ‘You should do cookies.’”
Roach employs 20 people, bakes some 6 million cookies annually and runs a wholesale frozen dough plant in Marin County that distributes to Bay Area Whole Foods markets and to the San Jose Fairmont. Quite the sweet road of success.
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