Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Jokerst.
Hi Christina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been baking all of my life. I love making cakes and pastries, sourdough and cookies. I started getting really big into cookies after I searched the KC area for a chocolate chip cookie that would satisfy my craving. When I couldn’t find it, I decided to create my own. Took me about two years before I settled on the recipe I currently use. I keep a notebook where I would notate everything I did in. Every time I would make a batch, I would write what I liked what I didn’t and then I would make changes in the next batch always recording that I did. I even wrote down what time of day I made them, the humidly and weather. All of this makes a difference when baking and I was obsessed with getting everything perfect and consistent. After I perfected my chocolate chip walnut recipe, I started handing them out to people. I’d make them and have too many so I would share with people. Right away, I got a huge response. Everyone I shared them with wanted to know where I got them, how I got them so Big, How are they so crunchy on the outside and melty on the inside. After I made the chocolate chip, I started to play with other flavors. I took everything I learned with the Chocolate chip and applied it to the other cookies to get the results I wanted. A lot of people assume that they are all the same recipe just changed a little or with add-ins. That is not the case. Each one is a totally different recipe. Some use brown sugar, some white, some a mix. Some use baking soda and powder, some use only one. Some have one egg some have 3… they are all different and that’s what takes so long to create a new flavor or cookie.
Once people started asking for the cookies all the time, my husband started bugging me about selling them. I was NOT on board with the idea. I was a baker, not a business person. I just liked baking them and handing them out. Plus honestly, I didn’t think anyone would buy them. So this went on for over a year. Finally, one day after getting frustrated he said, “I’m gonna build you a website and your gonna try this for three months, if no one buys them then we won’t talk about it ever again. Annoyed and frustrated with him, I agreed. The first month was mostly friends who had them before. But as people heard about us, I got a little busier and busier. Once I built a social media platform and some influencers posted about us, it took off and never stopped. By the second month, we were doing pop-ups and selling out our inventory everyday. Today I’m usually filling up two weeks in advance and selling out shipping boxes within 12 hours of listing. I still can’t believe it. Every time I walk into a pop-up and there’s a line, I think are they really all here for cookies.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been baptism by fire for sure. We never really had a learning phase because we grew so fast. The biggest struggle for me is trying to keep inventory to meet the demand. I usually take about 50 orders a day and we fill up those spots weeks in advance. I constantly have people messaging me or calling me asking why they can’t purchase that day or week and I have to tell them we sold out of spots for pick up last week. Once I get a store from and some help it will get better. Right now, I do everything myself. I make all the dough, weigh the dough balls, bake the cookies and package them. I also do all the shipping and wedding sampler boxes. If I have someone to take over some of that, I would be able to take on more orders.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Before starting KCookies, I was a Special Ed teacher in Omaha, NE. We moved to Kansas about seven years ago for my husband’s job. At the time, I had a kindergartner, Middle school, and one starting High-school. My husband was a business consultant and traveled about three days a week so I decided not to go back to work for a while. To occupy my time I baked… A LOT!! Little did I know it was the start to something more down the road.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I LOVE Kansas City. Thats why I named my cookie store KCookies… for Kansas City Cookie. I love the history, the diversity, the way the people get behind all things Kansas City. There’s always something to do or a team to root for in Kansas City. There’s great nightlife, amazing food, Sports teams, places to go and things to see…..But it still has a midwest feel to it. The thing I like least???? I don t even know…maybe the fact that I’m so busy I don’t get to take advance of all the amazing things KC has to offer.
Pricing:
- 3.50 a cookie
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.kcookiecompany.com
- Instagram: @kcookiecompany
- Facebook: KCookie Company
Image Credits
Professional cookie photos done by Amy Showalter Photography
