Local students help Montgomery County bakery design special Phillies cookie for postseason

HATBORO, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A longtime bakery in Montgomery County is displaying its Phillies pride as the team continues to find success in the postseason.

The shelves of Lochel's Bakery in Hatboro are currently filled with treats designed to celebrate the team.

Kathleen Lochel, the owner of the bakery, said they have many Phillies-related items including, Phillie Phanatic cupcakes, pound cake loaves, single layer cakes, cookies, donuts.

Lochel said her crew is working overtime to keep up with the demand.

"We have an overnight shift coming in," she said. "There's a lot involved, but we're making it through. A lot of friends and family are here, besides staff, so that's really helping us a lot."

One of the biggest sellers, Lochel said, is their hand-decorated, four-inch Phillies sugar cookie. They sold 900 of them in one day, and they are currently preparing hundreds more as we enter a jam-packed weekend for Philadelphia sports.

The cookies gained even more popularity after Liam Castellanos, the son of Phillies player Nick Castellanos, was photographed holding cookies from Lochel's that said 'Big Stick Nick' and 'We Love Liam's Dad'.

Lochel said the bakery has added another Phillies-inspired cookie to its shelves, thanks to seventh and eighth-grade students from Klinger Middle School in Southampton.

STEM teacher Kevin Deissler said he was recently at the bakery for a taste-testing opportunity. While there, he had a chance to speak with Kathleen Lochel.

"She said 'Oh you have a 3d printer? Maybe you can make us a Phillies and Eagles cookie cutter?'" Deissler explained.

Deissler brought the idea back to his students, who quickly got to work to design and print a Phillies cookie cutter for the bakery.

"We're all passionate about our Philadelphia sports teams, so what this does is gives our students opportunities to see what kinds of things STEM can do to help with careers," Deissler said. "What started as just an idea is something you can hold in your hand."

This Phillies postseason run will be especially memorable for these local students, who now get to see their creation come to life for customers.

"It's really cool to see them in the showcase. To see that other customers are going to be purchasing products that we had a hand in making is a really cool connection," Deissler said.

Lochel said the Phils postseason success also translates to their success at the bakery.

"When the Philadelphia sports teams do well, it boosts the local economy and the small businesses. People are happy. They're spending."