Erin Kennedy spent her early career working for a non-profit overseas.
“I had about 34 countries under my belt by 30," she recalls.
But when she returned to the States, she wasn’t sure what to do. She tried various jobs, and – in her spare time – began baking a treat popularized by the Little Debbie brand – two soft oatmeal cookies with a dollop of creamy frosting in between. She had missed them in her travels, and they reminded her of a favorite uncle.
“He passed when I was in 10th grade, but the love of the Little Debbie – that was something that we shared.”
Little Debbie’s cream filling was made with marshmallow, but Kennedy preferred a cream cheese base, and so did her fans.
“And then I said, ‘Hey,’ to my Facebook friends. ‘If I did sell them, would you buy them?’ They said yes, and then it just kept growing.”
In October of 2023 she opened a tiny storefront in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom neighborhood where locals and tourists stroll and nibble.
“Hello! Hi, y’all!”
KB, Kendall and Kat wandered in after running a race through Richmond.
“This is my dad’s favorite place, and I figured I should get him an oatmeal crime pie, and we ran today. We earned it!" said Kat.
"I earned it because I woke up today," Kendall replied. "Let’s be honest. You don’t earn delicious food. That is part of life. You participate in delicious food.”
But the job of choosing isn’t easy. Kennedy offers more than a dozen types of OCPs.
“We’ve done everything from red velvet to pecan pie to blueberry hibiscus,” she says.
And each month there’s a theme. September was apples, so customers could choose caramel apple, apple crumb cake, apple cider, apple cinnamon pecan, apple butter or apple bacon. The menu board also offered PB&J with strawberry or grape jelly, sweet heat, chocolate dip, chocolate peanut butter, cinnamon chip and oatmeal raisin. KB, Kendall and Kat settled on best-sellers – the original and chocolate, caramel and sea salt.
With a mouthful of cookie, KB concludes: "Delicious!"
Kennedy has several employees who scoop the dough onto cookie sheets and bake, but she does all the mixing – keeping her recipe top secret. She claims it’s drawn customers from every state.
“Actually, yesterday we got somebody from Idaho, and that was the last state that I needed – including Alaska and Hawaii. When people some into town this is where you have to go.”
She loves talking with them – sharing photos of her travels on the bakery walls.
“All of this is my personal stuff. That’s a real signature of Jimmy Buffet, and those are my dogs, and that’s a picture of an elephant that I took. That’s my Uncle David, so I have an homage to him.”
She calls the place OMG OCP’s.
“Because I say Oh my God to everything. I’m very dramatic. When people try it they immediately say, ‘Oh my God!’ It just made sense!”
And she doesn’t count calories.
“You know it’s heart healthy, because of all the oats.”
The cost is $4 or $4.50 per cookie with discounts for purchase of a half dozen or more.
“We had a company last year order 170 dozen to be shipped from here all over the country, and I mean we’ll do it.”
Her oatmeal crème pies are also available through Door Dash and Uber Eats for those with a craving who don’t care to exercise.
Right now, Kennedy says, she’s breaking even – not bad for a $300 investment at the outset, and she claims to have offers to franchise and says that could be in the cards. For more information go to
https://www.omgocps.com
