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Inside Zooies, LA’s gas station home to ‘next-level elite’ cookies

Nypost · · 511 words · By Matt Elias
Entrepreneurship Local Business Family Business
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What to know about Entrepreneurship

Inside Zooies, LA’s gas station home to ‘next-level elite’ cookies See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 7
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Inside Zooies, LA’s gas station home to ‘next-level elite’ cookies See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Some of LA’s most devoted cookie fans are pulling into a gas station to get their fix.

Common ground

Inside is Zooies, a cookie shop with dozens of flavors and a loyal following built by founder Arezou Appel, who still develops every recipe herself.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/09/24/lifestyle/cookie-shop-zooies-draws-devoted-fans-to…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4
check_circle Corroborated 3
info
Claim 1: “Appel’s daughter Sophia Appel worked at the store on and off when she was younger, helping with social media, front-of-house duties and inventory.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim about Sophia Appel's specific roles (social media, front-of-house, inventory) is found in one specific article. Other search results for 'Sophie Appel' refer to a poet/archivist, which may or may not be the same person, but do not corroborate the employment details.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Zooies remains a family operation. Appel's daughter Sophia Appel worked at the store on and off when she was younger, helping with social media, front-of-house duties and inventory.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/inside-zooies-la-ga…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Our vegan, paleo and gluten free recipes are lush and moist in the center, with crispy edges, and full of deep flavors. We use high quality gluten free flour, almond flour, almond butter, almond milk,…
https://zooies.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sophie Appel is a poet and historical map archivist that lives in Los Angeles.
https://www.sophieappel.xyz/
info
Claim 2: “Her son Charlie Appel currently attends Loyola Marymount University while working across Zooies’ management side, including operations, HR, partnerships, catering, logistics and business development.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The detailed claim about Charlie Appel's education at Loyola Marymount University and his specific management roles at Zooies is only found in one source. Other results for LMU are general university pages.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Her son Charlie Appel currently attends Loyola Marymount University while working across Zooies' management side, including operations, HR, partnerships, catering, logistics and business development.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/inside-zooies-la-ga…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Student is sitting directly across the staff member with a laptop in between them. Connect with the Undergraduate Admission Team. Explore the links below to register for informative online sessions or…
https://admission.lmu.edu/visit/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Relaxing Autumn Jazz by the Lakeside Cozy Fall Ambience for Coffee, Reading & Work. Melody Room. 165 watching. Carnegie Mellon University Freshmen Dorms Tour | Everything You Need to Know About CMU Ho…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sQ_tkKjW-s
info
Claim 3: “Her husband Jeff Appel already owned the gas station, located in the West LA neighborhood of Cheviot Hills”
SINGLE SOURCE
While web search results confirm Cheviot Hills is a neighborhood in West LA, there is no independent evidence provided in the search results to confirm that Jeff Appel owns a gas station there. The provided Wikipedia results are completely irrelevant.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of disasters in Australia by death toll.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disasters_in_Australia…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of last words uttered by notable individuals during the 20th century (1901–2000). A typical entry will report information in the following order: Last word(s), name and short …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_last_words_(20th_centu…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of people who disappeared mysteriously from 1910–1970 or whose deaths or exact circumstances thereof are not substantiated. Many people who disappear end up declared presumed dead and s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_disappeared…
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 4: “Nine years later, Zooies offers about 65 cookie choices, including vegan, gluten-free, paleo and refined-sugar-free options.”
CORROBORATED
One source explicitly states the 'nine years later' and '65 cookie choices' including vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and refined-sugar-free options. Another source confirms the availability of vegan, paleo, and gluten-free options.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nine years later, Zooies offers about 65 cookie choices, including vegan, gluten-free, paleo and refined-sugar-free options.Fall brings with it many things, among them a variety of apple dishes. Yet, …
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/inside-zooies-la-ga…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Vegan, Paleo, and Gluten-Free Options. We understand that everyone is different and has different needs.We use high quality gluten free flour, almond flour, almond butter, almond milk, coconut oil, gr…
https://zooies.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Overall, Zooies offers solid, milk cookies that are best dipped in milk, with the gooey cookie being a standout choice. The combination of delicious cookies and friendly staff makes it a highly recomm…
https://www.restaurantji.com/ca/los-angeles/zooies-/
check_circle
Claim 5: “Two of its biggest sellers are the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip and Gooie cookies.”
CORROBORATED
The Brown Butter Chocolate Chip is explicitly mentioned as a featured item on Toast Tab and EaterLA. The 'Gooie' (or gooey) cookie is mentioned as a standout choice in Restaurantji reviews and described in the official site's marketing text.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — A chocolate chip cookie is a drop cookie that contains pieces of chocolate mixed into the dough before baking. Texture and appearance vary with ingredients and preparation, ranging from moist, chewy c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_chip_cookie
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans mixed with fat (e.g. cocoa butter) and powdered sugar to produce a solid confectionery. There are several types of chocolate, classified pr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_chocolate
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — White chocolate is chocolate made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. It is ivory in color and lacks the dark appearance of most other types of chocolate because it does not contain the non-fat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_chocolate
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 6: “Cookies cost around $4 on average.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Web search results point to Uber Eats and other menus for Zooies, but the provided snippets do not list the specific average price of $4 per cookie.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The tastiest, most delicious cookie you will find in Los Angeles. Visit us in our store or get cookies delivered anywhere throughout the United States.
https://zooies.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Use your Uber account to order delivery from Zooies in Los Angeles. Browse the menu, view popular items, and track your order.
https://www.ubereats.com/store/zooies/b98dZRwQSJyJz6ucDIGY6w
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Get delivery or takeout from Zooies at 9815 National Boulevard in Los Angeles. Order online and track your order live.
https://www.doordash.com/store/zooies-los-angeles-259609/
check_circle
Claim 7: “Inside is Zooies, a cookie shop with dozens of flavors and a loyal following built by founder Arezou Appel, who still develops every recipe herself.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that Arezou Appel is the founder of Zooies and develops the recipes herself.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The tastiest, most delicious cookie you will find in Los Angeles. Visit us in our store or get cookies delivered anywhere throughout the United States.Our vegan, paleo and gluten free recipes are lush…
https://zooies.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Inside is Zooies, a cookie shop with dozens of flavors and a loyal following built by founder Arezou Appel, who still develops every recipe herself. “We are in a gas station,” Appel said. Sign up for …
https://nypost.com/2026/09/24/lifestyle/cookie-shop-zooies-d…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Arezou Appel, the founder of Zooies Cookies, was born in Tehran where she lived until she was five years old. She remembers her parents, who were both educators with strong personalities, disagreeing …
https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/vegan-pie-korea…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.