🍪 An Honor-System Cookie Cooler, Shaved Ice for a Good Cause and a Rain-Check Weekend: Your Main Street Roundup

Or: Fresh Cookies on the Honor System, a Fundraiser That Tastes Like Summer and Why Friday Is Your Shopping Day

Small-town business runs on trust. It’s the cooler of tomatoes at the end of a driveway with a coffee can for the money, and the shop owner who says “pay me next time.” This week’s roundup has a lot of that spirit, including a cookie stand that runs on the honor system.

Here’s what’s in it: Just Frosted opens a self-serve Cookie Cooler in Lusk, The Frozen Frenzy gives part of its sales back to schools and teams, Baker Mountain Roastery is roasting again, Cagle Mountain’s Thursday taco salad, a construction company hiring and a $10 oil change, a free customer lunch Friday and which stands are closing for the storm and a calendar of dates through November.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Sweet tooth? The Cookie Cooler in Lusk is self-serve, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Cookies are $3 to $4, and you can pay with cash, Venmo or card.
• Raising money for a team or school? Book The Frozen Frenzy and it gives part of the sales back to your group.
• Job hunting? Ponderosa Construction is hiring and says it will train people willing to learn.
• Shop Friday. Saturday has a Flood Watch and heavy rain, and some outdoor stands are already closing.
• Free lunch Friday: Ben Lomand Connect is serving hot dogs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at five offices, including Tracy City.

🍪 Pick Your Cookie, Pay on the Honor System: The Cookie Cooler Opens in Lusk

Just Frosted has opened The Cookie Cooler, a self-serve cookie stand in Lusk, Dunlap.Today reported Thursday. Customers pick out their cookies and pay before they leave, with nobody behind a counter. It’s open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Bakery-style cookies are $4 and sugar cookies are $3, with fall and Halloween flavors in the opening lineup. You can pay with cash, Venmo or scan-to-pay card. For the exact pickup address, message The Cookie Cooler directly. Popular flavors can sell out, so earlier is better.

What it means for you: It’s the coffee-can produce stand, updated for cookies. You can grab a treat on your own schedule, early on the way to work or late after ball practice. A stand like this only works when neighbors keep their end of the deal, so bring the right change or have your phone ready. Since Saturday looks stormy, Friday is the better day to swing by.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: The Cookie Cooler opens in Lusk)

🍧 Shaved Ice That Gives Back: The Frozen Frenzy’s Fundraiser Nights and Party Packs

The Frozen Frenzy, Dunlap’s New Orleans-style shaved ice business, now offers fundraising partnerships. When a school, sports team, youth program or PTA books it for an event, it donates a percentage of the sales back to the group, Dunlap.Today reported Thursday. It has also added party packs to go, pre-made shaved ice packages you can pick up for a birthday or a get-together. To book or order, call 423-602-4981 or email thefrozenfrenzy@yahoo.com.

What it means for you: If you’ve ever stood at a car wash in a hot parking lot for a team fundraiser, this is a lot easier. The business brings the truck, families buy a treat they’d buy anyway, and part of the money goes to the group. The announcement didn’t give the exact share, so ask for the percentage when you call. For parents, the party packs mean one less thing to make for a birthday.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: The Frozen Frenzy launches fundraising partnerships and party packs)

☕ Back at the Roaster: Baker Mountain Roastery Is Filling Orders Again

Baker Mountain Roastery, the Dunlap-based coffee roaster, is back to its regular weekly roasting schedule after a family trip to Rush County, Kansas, Dunlap.Today reported Thursday. The roastery says it is catching up on orders. In its post, the team wrote about finding the same quiet, peaceful beauty in Kansas pastureland that drew them to the Valley.

What it means for you: If you’ve had an order waiting, it’s on the way. If you haven’t tried a local roast, this is a good week to start, since a soggy Saturday is good coffee weather. Because it roasts weekly, ordering early in the week helps you get the freshest batch.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: Baker Mountain Roastery returns to roasting)

🌮 A Thursday Tradition: Taco Salad on Cagle Mountain

Cagle Mountain Restaurant at 5734 State Route 8 serves a taco salad special every Thursday starting at 10:30 a.m. for $13.99, with sauce and salsa included, Dunlap.Today reported. Call 423-949-5063, ext. 1.

What it means for you: A weekly special is like a standing date with a friend. You know where you’ll be, and the cook knows you’re coming. If tonight’s too late, the next one is Thursday, Oct. 15. A steady midweek crowd helps a mountain restaurant keep its doors open all year, not just on busy weekends.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: Taco Thursday at Cagle Mountain Restaurant)

🔨 Work and Savings: A Builder Is Hiring, and a $10 Oil Change

Ponderosa Construction Company is hiring for its home-building crews in the Dunlap area, Dunlap.Today reported Thursday. It wants dependable people who work well on a team and are willing to learn. Construction experience helps but isn’t required, and the company mentions room to move up. Send a résumé or questions to contact@ponderosatn.com.

On the savings side, Lisa Mott is offering oil changes for $10 in labor if you bring your own oil and filter, according to a Dunlap.Today post. Call 423-599-3796 to set up a time.

What it means for you: Construction is one of the trades where people learn on the job and can earn more as their skills grow. If you know a young person who’s good with their hands, pass this along. For the oil change, check your owner’s manual or ask the parts counter for the right oil and filter before you call. Doing that, plus $10, can save real money compared with a quick-lube shop.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: Ponderosa Construction now hiring) · $10 oil change

☔ Plan Around the Rain: Shop Friday, Grab a Free Hot Dog and Call Ahead Saturday

The National Weather Service has Sequatchie County under a Flood Watch from 1 a.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday, and Dunlap’s Saturday forecast calls for heavy rain at times and gusts up to 35 mph. Friday looks partly sunny.

• Free customer lunch Friday: For Cooperative Month, Ben Lomand Connect is serving free hot dogs, chips, drinks and cookies Friday, Oct. 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its offices in McMinnville, Manchester, Sparta, Crossville and Tracy City (67 Main St.). It’s also giving out free lantern flashlights while they last, which is handy timing.
• Half-price shoes through Saturday: CWC Thrift Store at 120 Sweetwater Road in Whitwell has shoes at 50% off the sticker price through Saturday. Going Friday keeps you out of the weather.
• Some stands are closing: Garrett Goods & Co in Quebeck says its sourdough and pastry stand will be closed Oct. 10 and 11 because of the wind and rain. Other outdoor stands and markets may do the same.

What it means for you: Think of Friday as the day you’d go to the store before a snow. Get your errands, cookies and coffee beans then. On Saturday, check a vendor’s Facebook page or call before driving out, and give small businesses some grace if they close to protect their goods. Their weekend sales depend on the weather too.

👉 Read more (Dunlap.Today: Ben Lomand Connect customer appreciation) · Garrett Goods weekend closure · Dunlap forecast

📅 Dates to Circle

• Fri., Oct. 9, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.: Free Ben Lomand Connect customer lunch, including Tracy City.
• Through Sat., Oct. 10: Half-price shoes at CWC Thrift Store, Whitwell.
• This week: CHI Markets, the Sale Creek local-food network, makes its last deliveries and pickups of 2026, then pauses until January under a new executive director.
• Thu., Oct. 15, from 10:30 a.m.: Taco salad Thursday at Cagle Mountain Restaurant.
• Sat., Oct. 17, 2 p.m.: Free pumpkin carving contest at Mountain Glen RV Park & Campground in Pikeville. Pumpkins and tools are provided.
• Sat., Nov. 7: The Ugly Mug Bar & Grill’s first charity poker run, starting in Spencer (registration 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.), with a stop at Willy T’s Off Main in Pikeville. It’s $20 per bike plus $10 per rider, for a trades and culinary scholarship.
• 2027: Dunlap Heritage Days returns, organizers of the Small Town America Festival say. Dates haven’t been announced.

👉 Pumpkin carving contest · Ugly Mug poker run · Dunlap Heritage Days 2027 · CHI Markets

✅ Your Main Street Checklist for This Week

• ✅ Do your shopping and errands Friday, before the rain.
• ✅ Try The Cookie Cooler in Lusk, and keep the honor system honest.
• ✅ Coaches, PTAs and youth leaders: call The Frozen Frenzy about a fundraiser night.
• ✅ Order coffee from Baker Mountain Roastery early in the week for the freshest roast.
• ✅ Pass Ponderosa Construction’s job post to someone who’d like to learn a trade.
• ✅ Stop by a Ben Lomand Connect office Friday for a free lunch and a flashlight.
• ✅ Saturday: call or check Facebook before driving to an outdoor stand.
• ✅ Put Oct. 17 (pumpkin carving) and Nov. 7 (poker run) on the calendar.

Practical rule: Shop local on the sunny day, call ahead on the rainy one, and keep the honor system honest.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Main Street Glossary

• Honor system: A shop with no cashier, where customers are trusted to pay for what they take.
• Self-serve: You pick out and pay for items yourself.
• Fundraising partnership: A business gives part of its sales to a group that books it for an event.
• Party pack: A pre-made bundle of food or treats you pick up for a party.
• Roastery: A business that roasts raw coffee beans in small batches.
• Cooperative (co-op): A business owned by its members or customers, like Ben Lomand Connect or our electric co-op.
• Poker run: A charity ride where riders collect a playing card at each stop, and the best hand wins.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is The Cookie Cooler?

It’s in Lusk. The announcement says to message The Cookie Cooler directly for the exact pickup address.

How much does The Frozen Frenzy give back to groups?

The announcement says “a percentage of sales” but doesn’t give the number. Ask when you call 423-602-4981.

Do I need experience to apply at Ponderosa Construction?

No. The company says experience helps, but it also welcomes people willing to learn. Email contact@ponderosatn.com.

Is the Ben Lomand lunch only for members?

It’s for members and customers. No sign-up was mentioned, so it appears you can just drop in from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

Will the Saturday markets and stands be open?

Some may close because of the heavy rain and wind in the forecast. Garrett Goods & Co has already announced it’s closed Oct. 10 and 11. Check with each vendor before you go.

🔗 Other Resources

• Dunlap.Directory: find local businesses
• Dunlap.Today: New businesses
• Dunlap.Today: Jobs and employment
• Jobs4TN: State job board
• National Weather Service: Dunlap forecast

🏡 Keep It Local, Keep It Kind

A cookie cooler that trusts you, a shaved-ice truck that helps the ball team and a builder willing to teach a new hand are what a healthy Main Street looks like. None of it needs a big budget. It needs neighbors who show up.

So pick your shopping day around the weather, give a little grace to the folks who close for the storm, and try one place you haven’t been yet. Read Dunlap.Today for more of what’s new on Main Street, and tell us about a business we should know.