For cookie maestro Chris Knight, business is booming.
What started with deliveries of the 19-year-old entrepreneur’s homemade cookies in the Williamsburg area moved to a brick-and-mortar store, and now to a new second Cookie Chris storefront in the Richmond area.
Beginning in 2021, Knight, then a Warhill High School junior, successfully developed an original cookie recipe and began baking at home and delivering to customers who heard about his goodies.
As the number of customers grew, he and his parents, Fran and Chris Knight Sr., began to think about a storefront business, which ultimately celebrated its second anniversary last week.
“I love it when people come here, buy my cookies and smile,” Knight said in a recent interview. “That’s really how it all began. It is important that people enjoy my cookies.”
Knight is proud that his Williamsburg store has been making money since Day One. “Business has been great and is a blessing,” he added. About 1,000 cookies are prepared daily.
Cookie Chris is easily recognizable with its light blue-and-pink motif and two big cookies in the signage. After two years in Williamsburg at 1408 Richmond Road, Knight decided to take a big step and expand.
The second Cookie Chris, with the same colors and branding, celebrated its grand opening today at 11571 W. Broad St. in Short Pump across from the Barnes & Noble bookstore.
Initially, Knight considered locating in either Newport News or Richmond. “Finally, it was Richmond because it is filled with people and is kind of home. My family had lived in Glen Allen before moving to Williamsburg and my grandmother, Helen Knight, lives in Richmond. She wanted me to come there with my store.”
Knight and his parents are confident of their Richmond success because of how well word of mouth gets around about the cookies, Fran Knight said. “We’ve had lots of customers come down here from Richmond to buy cookies. Now they won’t have to make the trip.”
Knight operated his Williamsburg store its first year while still a senior in high school. He helped train a staff who ultimately took over, under the supervision of his parents, when he went off to college. He has hired and trained a staff for the Richmond store to operate similar to his Williamsburg store.
On Saturday, he leaves to begin his sophomore year at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he is studying philosophy and psychology on a “pre-law track.” But this summer, he’s worked 6-8 hours daily, primarily preparing his cookie dough that his parents will prepare for the two stores when he is away.
It has been that dough that caught the attention of his first customers when he first baked chocolate chip, sugar and oatmeal cookies. Then he started adding other flavors and icings.
“It is important that the dough is right all the time,” Knight said. “My folks will make sure of that.”
This week his stores featured Oreo, chocolate chip, strawberry, iced oatmeal, birthday cake and snickerdoodle, a cinnamon sugar cookie. On the menu for the new store will be strawberry short cake, vanilla butter, rocky road, chocolate chip, cinnamon toast crunch and the “Cookie Chris” special cookie.
There are other customer favorites including banana pudding and strawberry short cake cookies. The stores also feature various kinds of ice cream and milk shakes.
For more about Cookie Chris or to order cookies (delivery is available locally as well as shipping nationwide), visit cookiechris.com.
Wilford Kale, kalehouse@aol.com
