Beloved Toronto bakery Midnightย Cookie has opened its first brick-and-mortar shop, much to the delight of its legions of fans who could previously onlyย order the fresh baked cookies online.
Beginning as a pandemic hobby,ย founders Emily Banks and Alon Steinbach say the idea for the bakery wasย fuelled by something most of us can relateย to: boredom and hunger.
The pair spent months perfecting theย recipes and growing a small but dedicated Instagram following. Orders would roll in between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., giving customers the opportunity to enjoy warmย and gooey freshly baked cookies wheneverย a craving hit.
Rather rapidly, the business grew. Orders began overflowing the couplesโ homeย kitchen, which forced the pair to startย working out of a ghost kitchen.ย After years of producing cookies theย city loved, Midnight Cookie finally moved into its very own storefront atYonge and Eglinton in February.
โWhen you walk into our store, itโs tiny.ย Itโs under 400-square-feet and everythingโs open. So basically, you get to seeย the entire process, from where we makeย the dough to where we bake,โ says Banks,ย who also notes that the location is dear toย her heart โ she grew up in the area, andย her mom lives just five minutes away.
Open until the wee hours of the morning daily, Banks says two of Midnightย Cookieโs most popular flavours are theย Kinder and Just the Dough. โWeโre veryย dough first, chocolate second,โ she says.ย Other mouthwatering flavours includeย white chocolate fudge mixed with Belgianย white chocolate, red velvet and for chocolate fans, double chocolate chunk.
โCookies are baked fresh at all times ofย the night. It only takes 10 minutes,โ says Banks.
Midnight Cookie is located at 3 Manor Rd. The bakery is open Tuesday to Thursday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., and Sunday from 3 p.m. to midnight.