It Began With a Quest 

Pinckney Cookie Cafe is a Seattle-area cookie company with cookie monster fans around the country. We’re opening our first physical store in Kirkland, Washington — and we need your help to build it. 

Our founder, Michael, worked in tech, and Pinckney Cookie Cafe emerged out of the quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. At first a side pursuit, he experimented to find that tantalizing combination of chewy and sweet. That better-than-homemade, just-one-more treat.  And once he achieved that, it evolved into a career as we introduced other classic and creative flavors, including our gluten-free and vegan Miracle Cookie line. 

We’ve been part of Seattle’s farmers market scene for over a decade and recently expanded our online business. We ship our cookies around the nation. Opening our first storefront will let us be a greater part of the community we love.

The Sweetest Thing 

Shelves packed with artisanal goods from around Seattle. The aroma of espresso. All the freshly-baked cookies you can eat. That’s what the first physical Pinckney Cookie Cafe will offer.

Small businesses make up 99.9% of all businesses in the United States and employ about 47% of the workforce, around 60 million people. Small businesses are essential to our larger economy and our individual communities — but we’re also dependent on community support to survive and grow. 

It’s very expensive (well over $100,000) to open a store, especially when you have to dig up concrete and bring in plumbing and electric. This is daunting for a small business, and we’re coming to the community for support. 

The funds we raise will allow us to:

• Take the next step as a small business

• Finish building out our cafe space, from espresso machines to display cases, from cabinet making to tiling

• Offer more products, like additional cookie flavors, including bringing back old favorites and creative new ones

• Feature food, gifts, and goods from artisan makers

• Provide fun entry-level jobs to the community: We’ll be actively hiring for positions, from baristas to bakers, in a fun work environment (and, yes, free cookies are a major perk)

PERKS 

Now, the fun stuff. Whether you’re in the mood for merch, cookies, or seeing your name in (our store’s) lights. 

So what if the cookie doesn’t crumble the way we want? If we don’t reach our funding goal, we will still open the store, most likely in stages. Enough construction work has already been completed that we can operate as a pop-up until we have enough funding for the full launch.

We Love These Cookies. But Don’t Just Take Our Word For It…

• “The cookies were such stars last night. There wasn’t a cookie left. They were the perfect sparkle for our event.” -Ali

• “I do not even have adequate words to describe these cookies! Wow! They are a must try!” -Stephanie

• “I am truly stunned by your ability to craft such unique products. The flavors are out of this world. Your Dark Chocolate Oatmeal cookie is the most perfect way to end my day.” -Ulyana

• “BEST COOKIE EVER!!!!!!” -Carrie

• “We pretty much live for these cookies.” -Blake M

Risks & Challenges

It’s been a very long road to get here with countless twists and turns, ups and downs. But we’re finally getting close, and our excitement is building!

The good news is that the heavy lifting is largely done – permitting, concrete cutting, plumbing, electric, etc. – which means that the high risk part of the project is largely done.

Now, we’re focusing on building out the interior of the store, purchasing equipment, hiring and training staff, and officially opening. While we  don’t expect major construction delays in this last phase, we’ve learned so much throughout this process that we have a pretty good idea how to overcome them.

The bigger challenge is that we’ll essentially be opening a new business: retail food! We’ve hired an incredibly talented and experienced consultant to help open the store, train a dedicated, customer-focused staff, and tackle operational challenges. The Pinckney Cookie Cafe team and the artisan makers featured in the store will be ready to pitch in.
 

Help Spread the Word

Not able to contribute right now? Already contributed? Helping us spread the word means so much.

We would really appreciate if you would: 

• Share this campaign over email and tell your loved ones, encouraging people to donate or share it with their friends!
• Support us on social: @pinckneycookie on Instagram and Pinckney Cookie Cafe on Facebook. Even a simple like can help us spread our message!