Beloved Toronto bakery Midnight Cookie has opened its first brick-and-mortar shop, much to the delight of its legions of fans who could previously only order the fresh baked cookies online.

Beginning as a pandemic hobby, founders Emily Banks and Alon Steinbach say the idea for the bakery was fuelled by something most of us can relate to: boredom and hunger.

The pair spent months perfecting the 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 warm and gooey freshly baked cookies whenever a craving hit.

Rather rapidly, the business grew. Orders began overflowing the couples’ home kitchen, which forced the pair to start working out of a ghost kitchen. After years of producing cookies the city loved, Midnight Cookie finally moved into its very own storefront atYonge and Eglinton in February.

“When you walk into our store, it’s tiny. It’s under 400-square-feet and everything’s open. So basically, you get to see the entire process, from where we make the dough to where we bake,” says Banks, who also notes that the location is dear to her heart — she grew up in the area, and her mom lives just five minutes away.

Open until the wee hours of the morning daily, Banks says two of Midnight Cookie’s most popular flavours are the Kinder and Just the Dough. “We’re very dough first, chocolate second,” she says. Other mouthwatering flavours include white chocolate fudge mixed with Belgian white chocolate, red velvet and for chocolate fans, double chocolate chunk.

“Cookies are baked fresh at all times of the night. It only takes 10 minutes,” 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.