Butter Cafe | Photo by Grace Ramsdell | The Wright State Guardian
The Cookie Joint located in Dayton, OH is serving fresh, hot out of the oven cookies with locally sourced ingredients for Dayton area residents at an affordable price.
Inspired from cooking for church gatherings with his Uncle at the age of 12, Cookie Joint Owner and Baker Isiah Davis started the business on July 30; in the midst of the coronavirus.
Starting a business during a pandemic
“The timing for me was honestly kind of perfect,” said Davis. “I was already a chef at a restaurant prior to opening The Cookie Joint so when the coronavirus slowed everything down I thought, what do I have to lose?”
Having passion in the kitchen and ideas on paper, Davis knew that if he gave it 110% he would be successful in his business endeavors.
While being in the kitchen has always been a passion for Davis, baking is a skill that he continues to perfect and he says that he has the utmost respect for those who choose baking as a career.
“Baking takes patience and love,” Davis said. “If you’re cooking a sauce for example, you can always make adjustments and it’s hard to mess it completely up. If you’re baking something, you really have to have your measurements right and be precise. I look up to people who bake for a living because this is a tedious art that requires attention and love.”
The love that Davis has for baking can be seen in the dedication to his craft, and the enjoyment he shows while working.
“I knew coming into the baking game that I wanted to focus on one thing,” Davis said. “We aren’t going to be making cakes or muffins or anything like that. That’s just not where I’m at right now. I want to stay focused on one thing and make it the best I can and use the best possible ingredients.”
Up for the challenge
Not only does Davis love baking, he loves the challenges that baking presents.
“You make yourself more valuable when you learn new things and expand your knowledge,” said Davis. “I need a challenge, and I need to continue to push myself to get better every day.”
This challenge is something that Davis is happy to have some help with, as his former restaurant co-worker Austin Quigley has been working with him and continues to give support in any way possible.
“Austin has been absolutely amazing to work with and have around,” Davis said. “He handles all of the social media stuff for us and helps critique the recipes. He has a really good palette for tasting and isn’t afraid to tell me when something doesn’t work.”
The newest cookie to the menu at The Cookie Joint, dubbed the “WAP” cookie, is a cookie that embodies a warm apple pie, and includes fresh apples from Peifer Orchards in Yellow Springs, OH.
“Delicious cookies come from having the best possible ingredients,” Davis said. “Any time that I can use local ingredients and produce in my cookies I definitely will.”
Local residents and customers of The Cookie Joint aren’t shy in hyping up the cookies that are served. Dayton locals Casey Voris and Chelsea Waites are two customers who say they will be returning to The Cookie Joint often.
“I love that the cookies come out hot and fresh,” Said Voris. “You place your order and wait a few moments but the result is priceless. I don’t know of anywhere else you can come get hot cookies with this quality.”
Waites, a fan of The Cookie Joint’s cultural references, enjoys supporting the local business and gets a laugh every time she visits.
“I love that The Cookie Joint opens at 4:20 p.m. and gives funny references in some of their cookie names,” Waites said. “I get a laugh every time and that’s enough to keep me coming back for more.”
Open from 4:20 p.m. until 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 4:20 p.m. until 3 a.m. on weekends, The Cookie Joint of Dayton, OH is excited to continue to serve customers with a sweet tooth for the foreseeable future.
“We love our college customers, being close to the University of Dayton, but we are also looking to further our influence into the rest of the community as well,” Davis said. “This is something that I am going to turn into an empire, one cookie at a time.”
For more information on The Cookie Joint, visit: www.getbaked.shop, or search CookieJoint on Instagram for updates and new menu options.
