Dough Life
When creating Dough Life, owner Joseph Francabandiero’s goal was to recapture childhood memories. Since opening the original Walden Gallery location in Buffalo, New York, in May of 2017, he’s found that it’s a concept that really resonates with people. In a short 16-month span, Dough Life has added tons of new flavors, gone through a name change (previously known as Dough Boyz) and has grown from one store to more than 40 locations in seven different states. In terms of the inspiration behind the concept, Francabandiero says, “I grew up in a very large Italian family. My mother would make thousands and thousands of cookies, but I was always more interested in sticking my fingers in the bowl than waiting.” Initially, Francabandiero thought up all the flavors himself, pulling from the family recipes he knew, but he began thinking out of the box to create delicious flavors that would appeal to everyone. And, now, Dough Life’s flavor profile is what sets it apart. Francabandiero says, “Normal cookie dough is just too rich, but we’ve got our recipe adjusted to the perfect balance where all you want to do is eat more of it.” Dough Life has more than a dozen flavors, but their team is always experimenting with new combinations, such as cinnamon bun, pumpkin pie and espresso. Truth be told, Francabandiero has a soft spot for the classic chocolate chip. To those with a massive sweet tooth, he recommends tracking down one of the locations that offers the Dough Life Tornadough—soft-serve ice cream featuring globs of their mouthwatering cookie dough.
Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall | edibledoughlife.com