Written by Vanessa Santilli for Yellow Pages on Oct. 15

Home Baker turned Cookiepreneur

You’ll find Robyn’s Cookies—a quaint cookie boutique brimming with warmth—tucked away in a laneway in Toronto’s uptown Yonge and Lawrence neighbourhood. Tall pink gates welcome customers to the shop where the aroma of fresh-baked cookies hits you instantly. At the heart of it all is owner Robyn Coffey, who started the business in 2008. “I started baking from home and baking for neighbourhood people and then I started getting paid for doing that—which was nice,” she says. “And then it just snowballed from there.”

A few years after opening Robyn’s Cookies, Robyn recruited high school pal Melinda to become her business partner. “She would come in as a customer and sometimes I’d be alone in the shop and she’d say ‘Do you need any help?’ So I’d throw an apron on her.” The pair has a lot of fun together according to Robyn. “We spend a good part of the day laughing.”

And for Robyn and Melissa, there certainly is a lot to smile about these days. Their decadent cookies have earned accolades from a number of media outlets and the duo has also established a profitable wholesale business selling cookies to Pusateri’s, Summerhill Market and Bruno’s Fine Foods.

Delectable Delights

At Robyn’s Cookies, the selection is as delicious as it is diverse. The chocolate chip cookie with toffee is a bestseller that Robyn and Melissa bake fresh “all day, every day.” “We don’t sell them day-old,” explains Robyn. “Customers know that when they buy the chocolate chip, they’re getting a cookie that’s only hours old.”

Another customer favourite is a shortbread cookie dubbed the “junk in the trunk.” “The junk came about by taking all my kid’s leftover Halloween candy, putting it in a blender and making a cookie out of it,” Robyn explains. The shop also offers a selection of oatmeal cookies that are available on a rotating basis. Along with cookies, Robyn and Melissa carry brownies, cookie dough and a variety of loaves, including carrot and apple, lemon poppy seed, and banana.

Sweet Support

Speaking about her customers, Robyn says she is very lucky. “The ladies of the neighbourhood are very supportive. There’s a special something about women supporting women.” A lot of her business comes from neighbourhood moms, she adds.

The other main pillar of support has come from their own families; Robyn has four kids and Melinda has three. “I’ll get my boys to do deliveries and my girls will work the cash,” says Robyn. “At Christmastime, we’ll all get together if chocolate needs to be chopped.” They also pitch in by doing dishes on some nights where the pair is beat. “Melinda’s kids do the same thing,” explains Robyn. “It’s really nice.”