Perry’s Sweet Evelyn’s owner is a “rising star,” Georgia Trend says

Cory Allen Jones, baker, cookie master and owner of Sweet Evelyn’s in downtown Perry, is among the 2026 Georgia Trend 40 under 40 honorees.

The magazine’s award program recognizes “smart, industrious, civic-minded” people under the age 40 from all walks of life from across the state.

The coveted list based on nominations from Georgia Trend readers was published Thursday. These “rising stars” are narrowed down by Georgia Trend from hundreds of nominations.

“I don’t even know what to say sometimes because knowing that you have to be nominated for that and that they take hundreds of applications and nominations, and then getting chosen down to 40 people,” the 38-year-old Jones said. 

“It means a lot, like a real lot, because people like what you’re doing. They see what you’re doing. They’re proud of you, and for you … It just makes your heart feel good.”

Jones has no idea who nominated him for the 40 under 40. 

In the section about Jones, Georgia Trend briefly traces his 10-year journey from taking a cookie decorating class with his mother to first competing on the Food Network to opening his storefront in Perry.

“Jones hasn’t forgotten where he comes from,” the article reads in part. “He has served on the Dooly County Board of Education, the Perry Main Street Advisory Board and Perry Main Street’s promotions committee.”

He continues to serve on Perry Main Street’s promotions committee.

Jones attributes his success to “never stopping.”

“I’ve been creative forever,” Jones said. “I learned the new medium doing cookies. I didn’t stop just after doing those classes. I went to Cookie Con. 

“I then decided after being on TV that I wanted to open a bakery where the public could come and get what I had baked. After seeing you could not really mass produce decorated cookies, I didn’t stop there. I just started baking everything, and not just cookies. So, it’s just never stopping and always coming up with the next thing, I think is where I attribute my success to because I always just look forward and just keep going.”

Jones is best known for his own elaborately hand-crafted cookies, which must be specially ordered and are not generally sold in his storefront.

“That’s where I started, and that’s literally what I’m still most known for,” Jones said. “But I’m also known for my bakery in downtown Perry, like having all the different things. 

“You can’t get decorated cookies there except for light pop-ups that we do … I’m also known for my personality, I guess you could say so. But definitely, the decorated cookies is my jam.”

Jones has been baking and decorating cookies since December 2016 when he became hooked while taking that pivotal cookie decorating class with his mother.

“She didn’t love it, and I did,” he told Georgia Trend.

Jones started Sweet Evelyn’s in the kitchen of his home, showcasing his baked goods on social media and selling them by custom-order and via pop-ups. He named his cookie business after his Nana, the late Evelyn Goodroe.

Jones made his debut on the Food Network in the 2022 Christmas Cookie Challenge. He next started baking in his commercial kitchen in his hometown of Unadilla, the kitchen a gift from his mom and stepdad.

In 2023, Jones competed in the Food Network’s Holiday Wars. His team won, splitting the $25,000 prize three ways.

Also in 2023, Jones opened his Perry storefront and curated retail shop.

Jones returned to the Food Network in 2025 to compete in the Halloween Baking Championship. He was among four finalists who competed in the season finale.

In 2025, Jones also was given the “keys to the downtown district,” a way in which Historic Downtown Perry celebrates milestones of downtown business owners.

The 2026 Georgia Trend 40 under 40 award ceremony is Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Atlanta History Center Grand Overlook Ballroom.

Sweet Evelyn’s at 910 Carroll St. is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The number is 478-224-0559