On the heels of Pride Month and with National Sugar Cookie Day quickly approaching on July 9th, Drag Queen baker, cookie decorator, and owner of Plenty O’Cookies, Alex Copeland is making a comeback after the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on his baking business, as it did on many other small businesses.

“With all the custom orders that were coming in, I was on track to have my best month before the pandemic hit. My business relies on baking for events, so as people were forced to cancel their events, they also cancelled their orders,” Copeland explains.

After being in operation since 2014, Copeland understood that Plenty O’Cookies needed to adapt in order to survive this global setback. He turned to social media and his website to advertise with Facebook Live and Instagram Live cookie decorating workshops as well as video collaborations with other bakers.

Along with working on his recipes, Copeland saw this as the best way to spend time on the business during the lockdowns, and he believes it paid off. “I post on Facebook regularly and my orders remain consistent. I can definitely tell a difference between when I do and don’t post.”

Pride Month in June was especially busy for the bakery with more collaborations, custom orders, pop-ups, and even working a Drag Bingo. Because of his growing business, Copeland, who usually works alone, has recruited the help of his boyfriend but is also looking for an employee to help with social media. Facebook Jobsis a new free tool that people can use to find and apply for jobs quickly and easily, but also a way for employers to post openings to find the help they need using specific filters and application questions to evaluate applicants.

Copeland will try out the Facebook Jobs tool, as it was created just in time as Plenty O’Cookies continues to prove itself as a staple in the Columbus area. Emerging from the valleys of the pandemic, and coming off a very active few months, this bakery promises to provide unique and fun services, as well as delicious and museum-worthy products for years to come.