Meet Van Teamer, the visionary force behind Houston’s favorite creative cookie pop up turned brick and mortar, Pudgy’s Fine Cookies. Born and raised in Houston, Van credits her family, and mother in particular, for instilling the determination and grit that have driven her entrepreneurial spirit. Van, her daughter, and sister started Pudgy’s in their garage kitchen as pandemic project in November 2020 after their search for the perfect cookie continued to fall flat. After perfecting their core flavors, they ventured into countless pop ups and markets to much success, and found their people in Houston’s food loving community. Their support is what allowed Van and her family to open their first official physical location in the Heights in the summer of 2022.

Entrepreneurship runs deep in Van’s veins. She graduated from University of Texas School of Dentistry and is still a practicing dental hygienist by day. On top of that, she is owner and operator of Pudgy’s Fine Cookies, a Vietnamese-American woman owned and family run cookie business that sells in person as well as delivers nationwide. She credits her own mother for passing down the value of hard work and unwavering hustle.– things she shares with her daughter, Taylor, and her sister Ann, who are her right and left hands at Pudgy’s and oversee day to day operations. These principles have been the driving force behind Van’s journey, leading her to establish Pudgy’s Fine Cookies with a single, delicious goal in mind: to craft creative “Thick AF” cookies that bring people joy while using only the finest ingredients.

Having her family along for the Pudgy’s journey has been a dream come true for Van. Van finds inspiration in Houston’s incredible hospitality community and takes pride in being a part of a community that celebrates diversity and mutual support. As a minority owned business, diversity and community are fundamental to what makes Pudgy’s special and what drives what Van does every day.