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    Sound the Klaxons

    Trader Joe's Speculoos cookie butter shortage plagues nation

    Teresa Gubbins
    Apr 26, 2013 | 9:01 am

    In a disappearance whose urgency ranks right up there with Waldo and the Lindbergh baby, the nation is currently facing a shortage of Speculoos, the addictive, spicy cookie butter sold by Trader Joe's.

     

    Speculoos has been out of stock at Trader Joe's across the country for more than a month, and there's no immediate sign of relief, according to an employee at the Trader Joe's in Plano.

     

    "We've been out for a while, and we're not supposed to get any until mid-May," he said. A staffer at a store in California confirmed the drought, saying that Trader Joe's in-house ordering system showed that the product was out of stock.

     

     

      Where to dip one's salty pretzel? How now to embellish an ordinary oatmeal cookie?

     
     

      Trader Joe's opened in Texas with what seemed like an infinite supply of the magical gingerbread-flavored spread. At the Plano store, one whole end-cap boasted a majestic mountain of meticulously arranged jars containing the tawny, craveable confit.

     

    Cookie butter's popularity was non pareil; it rocketed to the top of Trader Joe's annual "most popular products" list in 2012. Things were so good on the Speculoos scene that by 2013, Trader Joe's expanded the line and released a crunchy version of the smearable ambrosia. When it came to cookie butter, we felt like we were set for life.

     

    The unconscionable thing is that this isn't the first time Trader Joe's has run out of cookie butter. An employee at a store in Los Angeles recalled that the chain endured a similar Speculoos depletion in 2010.

     

    "After they first introduced it, there was a shortage and it was gone for a long time," she said. "Then they made a huge batch; it's made in Belgium, I think."

     

    Adding insult to injury is the mysterious way the story changes from store to store. A staffer at the Fort Worth store claimed that no Trader Joe's could requisition the captivating goo, that all stores placed their orders through the same system, and that she could see on the computer with her very own eyes that none was available.

     

    But stores in California and on the East Coast divulged that they were receiving limited allotments of the spreadable sweetness daily. A store outside Boston exulted in the fact that it was receiving a case every other day. A store in southern California gloated that it had received four cases – "but just the smooth, not the crunchy," said the Trader Joe's staffer gleefully.

     

    A pox on you, southern California Trader Joe's!

     

    Staffers had no advice for how customers should handle the cookie butter famine. What else to spread on a seeded rye cracker? Where to dip one's salty pretzel? How now to embellish an ordinary oatmeal cookie?

     

    Admittedly, an enterprising consumer could simply revert to the old-school (and ahem more nutritionally sound) peanut butter, or buy Speculoos' doppelganger Biscoff spread at Sprouts, or opt for an indulgent dab of gianduia. But that's missing the point. Peanut butter, Biscoff, Nutella — those items are readily available. This is something we cannot get.

     

    Also, there really is something special and uniquely spicy about Trader Joe's particular cookie butter recipe. The company buys its products from other companies and relabels them. Some have speculated that the Speculoos is made by a Danish company called Markant. But that is unavailable in the United States.

     

    Ooooh, sounds tasty.

    Jars of Speculoos cookie butter stacked on Trader Joe's shelves.

    Trader Joe's, Alabama Theater, cookie butter
      
    Photo by Joel Luks
    Jars of Speculoos cookie butter stacked on Trader Joe's shelves.
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    Cocktail Kitchen News

    Chic Euro-inspired Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen makes debut in Frisco

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jul 22, 2025 | 10:58 am
    Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen
    Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen
    Elaine's Cocktail Kitchen

    A European-inspired restaurant and lounge has opened in downtown Frisco: Elaine’s Cocktail Kitchen, a restaurant and lounge from Alora Hospitality Group, has opened at 8763 7th St, in a space previously occupied by charcuterie spot Board & Bread, where it is serving shareable plates and craft cocktails for happy hour, dinner, or casual drinks and bites.

    Alora Hospitality Group was founded in 2024 by Donny Churchman, CEO of Nack Development, and hospitality entrepreneur Jason Young. AHG is dedicated to cultivating hospitality concepts that elevate and enrich historic downtowns. Elaine’s joins a growing portfolio of brands, including 1902 Prosper, set to open later this year.

    Food
    The menu, created by AHG COO and culinary director Amy DiBiase, a Johnson & Wales grad who previously worked for San Diego’s InterContinental Hotel, the acclaimed Tidal at Paradise Point Resort, and Grand Restaurant Group. For Elaine's, DiBiase is drawing from her Italian roots to craft dishes that are both refined and approachable.

    Menu highlights include

    • Elaine’s Charcuterie - rotating selection of cheeses and meats
    • Goat Cheese-Stuffed Peppadew Peppers
    • Buffalo Deviled Eggs - blue cheese filling, carrot, and celery
    • Stone Fruit Panzanella with cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion, bocconcini, cucumber
    • Roasted Beets & Burrata with greens, oranges, pistachios

    There's a "spreadables" section of spreads including Whipped Lemon Basil Goat Cheese with crispy prosciutto & strawberries; Blue Cheese Mousse with with endive & candied walnuts; and Warm Marin French Petit Cream with a caramelized sugar top, apples and candied pecans.

    Pressed sandwiches served on sourdough from Frisco bakery Croix Bakehouse includes the Brie and Honeycrisp Apple Sandwich with cheddar, and French Onion Sandwich with gruyère, fontina, red dragon, caramelized onion, and French onion broth.

    Cocktails are overseen by veteran mixologist Chris Norton including Elaine’s Martini with Tito’s Vodka, passionfruit liqueur, and a sparkling wine sidecar; and Ashes & Agave with Socorro Blanco Tequila, Rosaluna Mezcal, Aperol, & sparkling grapefruit.

    Plus zero-proof cocktails and wine by the glass or bottle.

    Decor
    Designed by Burress Design Group, the interior evokes a 1920s parlor, with velvet emerald sofas, marble-topped tables, and vintage crystal chandeliers.

    There are 44 seats inside plus bistro-style patio seating.

    Alora Hospitality Group is currently developing a portfolio of experience-driven concepts with thoughtfully restored settings, bringing renewed energy and timeless elegance to the heart of historic downtowns that include Old Town Pie Co., 1902 Prosper, and MaryAnn’s Speakeasy.

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