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Largo Bakery's Obama Cookies Sell Like Hot Cakes

Tribune photo by STEPHEN THOMPSON

Cookies featuring the image of President Barack Obama await customers at Frida's Café and Bakery in Largo.

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 20, 2009

LARGO - For the five years she's run Frida's Café and Bakery on busy Ulmerton Road, Frida Alipour has sold cookies featuring the faces of the presidential candidates before the election. And, as part of an unofficial poll, her staff keeps track of how many of a particular candidate's cookies sell before Nov. 4.
This year, however, Alipour and her staff took the extra step of honoring the winner by baking inauguration cookies. Three trays featuring Barack Obama are on display this afternoon, right below the cherry strudel and sticky buns.

The cookies are selling, Alipour says. She's even received orders for Obama cookies with the presidential seal.

"He's very popular," Alipour says.

Four years ago, she sold cookies featuring the visages of George Bush and John Kerry, she said. Sale figures were not available.

Then, last year, she sold cookies featuring John McCain and Obama. The number of McCain cookies sold was 1923, compared with 2989 for Obama. Alipour says those figures reflect the outcome of the election, and she's come to compare her cookie poll to the importance of the I-4 corridor as a microscopic sample of where the country stands.

It's the bakery's "official Presidential cookie poll!" according to an announcement of the results. "Very scientific and sweet."

Ten percent of the sales proceeds – the sugar cookies cost $1.99 each – went to each candidate's respective campaign, she said.

When Bush won, Frida and her staff didn't bother making cookies observing Bush's re-election.

"Nobody called me for Bush cookies," she said. "This election, people are calling me for Obama cookies."

Alipour takes pains not to take sides in presidential campaigns as her customers buy a particular candidate's cookies. She likes to appear impartial. "But I like him," she says of Obama.

And Bush? She is asked.

No.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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