Our Story

Southern Straws is a mother-and-son bakery dedicated to making good, ole’-fashioned cheese straws that put a unique spin on a classic Southern tradition. Although our company officially opened shop in 2011, the recipe for our Original cheese straws goes back generations.

In her early 20s, Margaret Amos wanted to bake something special to gift to her friends at Christmas. While browsing through an antique family cookbook, she discovered a recipe for delectable cheddar cheese straws, donned an apron, and started pressing them out. In 2011, after leaving her corporate job of 30 years, Margaret decided to turn her hobby of baking cheese straws into a full-time business and began driving across Georgia looking for shops that would be interested in carrying her cheese straws.   

While Margaret was selling cheese straws from the back of her car, her son Neal was busy earning a finance degree from the University of Georgia. Intrigued by the idea of growing a small business from the ground up, Neal joined the team after graduating in the spring of 2014. That July, Margaret and Neal attended their first wholesale gift show in Atlanta, and Southern Straws was officially off the ground and running.

Today, our cheese straws are sold in over 300 boutique shops and grocery stores across the southeast and beyond. Both our Original and Spicy cheese straws have been recognized as finalists in the “Flavor of Georgia” food contest. As our company continues to grow, we remain true to our roots. We hand-craft our cheese straws with fresh, premium ingredients and cut them into bite-sized wafers that are packed with flavor and cooked to crisp perfection. Southern Straws Cheese Straws are perfect for gifts, celebrations, get-togethers, and everyday snacks. Whatever the occasion, we guarantee that our cheese straws will satisfy your craving for a home-baked Southern treat “just like Grandma used to make!”