DC Based Company Captain Cookie Set to Launch an Incubator Space

With a booming food scene, DC is the perfect city for foodies and food innovators alike. We recently spoke with Captain Cookie’s co-owner Kirk Francis to hear how his lifelong cookie obsession turned into a booming DC business with a new incubator concept on the horizon. His cookie entrepreneurship dates back to 2008 when Kirk started selling cookies wholesale to select coffee shops across DC while working full time.

“Everyday I’d drop off a full jar of cookies and every evening I’d get back an empty jar. I didn’t get a chance to interact with the customers, build relationships and see them enjoy my product.”

By 2012, Kirk and his co-founder (and wife) decided it was time to take the leap into the cookie business full time. He started with a single food truck which quickly expanded to four and a full service brick and mortar location on the George Washington University campus.

Everywhere you look with Captain Cookie you see sprinkles of innovation. From unique cookie flavors, such as honey sesame, to house made ginger ale and balls of edible cookie dough displayed prominently at the counter, Captain Cookie is thinking beyond basic chocolate chips.

So, what’s next on the horizon for the Captain Cookie Team?

Captain Cookie is about to launch a second location and incubator space to help local food businesses scale. Named “Tastemakers” the 9,000 sq ft incubator space will open in Ward 5’s Brookland neighborhood in early September. There will be industrial kitchen space for local food companies, a small grocery store, and another Captain Cookie storefront. The store will feature 6-8 food vendors and have a bar.

Kirk is even working on some exciting new offerings for visitors including….drumroll please….ice cream cones of cookie dough. The first spot of it’s kind in DC. He’s in the process of crafting the perfect recipe for edible cookie dough so that he can offer scooped cookie dough in addition to ice cream sandwiches.

“DC is a great city. It’s the center of what’s happening in America. It’s where everyone comes together.” We couldn’t agree more – especially when that means coming together to share a cookie sandwich.