If Cincinnati is the Queen City, would that make Christina Davis the Cookie Queen? Because if that’s true, that would mean the Davis Cookie Collection are the Crown Jewels. The growth and popularity of Christina, and her husband, Miles’ achievement after more than a decade of being embraced by Cincinnatians makes this true.

The wife and husband duo’s success, by definition, is happening because a magnificent product is lovingly delivered to a community that recognizes the value of that combination as a premium worthy of their committed investment.

Davis Cookie Collection has morphed from a young grad student’s delicious temporary stress reliever shared with her classmates to a brand that is woven into the fabric of Cincinnati’s contemporary popular identity. The Davis Cookie Collection and the Queen City have become inextricably synonymous.

Full disclosure. I say this because I was introduced to the Davises two years ago, loved what they were doing and what they had accomplished, and wrote a review of the Davis Cookie Collection published on the social media platforms of the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, which supported the Davises as they were initially developing their enterprise.

As dynamic as Mr. and Mrs. Davis are in the administration of their business, and not to suggest that Mr. Davis does not have a similar pedigree, it is no secret that Christina is a third-generation entrepreneur whose family has operated successful public-facing businesses. It is in her genes to operate with goodwill and humility inspired by her Christian Faith.

Her family’s entrepreneurial roots dug in not long after Christina’s family migrated from Georgia in the 1950s. They opened the Club Safari, a restaurant and night club featuring the Southern-style gourmet entrees and desserts made from scratch they had brought along from Georgia.

The family’s business model included headlining the live entertainment as well at the Safari Club, featuring Christina’s Grandfather, Cornelius, who played saxophone and the organ, and Great Uncle John, a drummer, who was showcased along with top-tier performers like Aretha Franklin, BB King, and Little Richard.

Christina recalls intergenerational family stories over the years that steered her towards entrepreneurship. Perhaps as young as five years old, she had a front-row seat and was the head of the class, absorbing lessons from a variety of family members over time that would refine her baking skills and eventually sustain her business.

I’m guessing the not-so-secret ingredient that produces her family’s legacy gourmet cuisine and treats is Quality. “From scratch,” the tradition passed down through generations means starting with fresh, choice, natural ingredients, which defines the scrumptious superior product you get at the end of the baking process, methods that have drawn Cincinnatians into a love affair with the Davis Cookie Collection.

It is said that success happens when preparation meets opportunity. Inheriting time-tested, taste-tested recipes and techniques passed down through decades, coupled with years of family entrepreneurial experience, is evidence of the Davis clan’s preparation, and opportunity in the cookie business could not have been more robust as the Davis’s decided when they launched in 2013.

Consider these incredible cookie statistics: According to an August 2023 article penned by author and former radio personality, Lauren Beckham Falcone, it is estimated that the average American eats 200 cookies per year; the cravory.com, a cookie blog, estimates per person annual consumption of cookies to be 300.

A 2023 survey conducted by OnePoll, an international market research and consumer insights agency, concluded that cookies are the second most favorite dessert of Americans after ice cream.

More than 1 in 3, 35%, prefer cookies; that’s over 115 million cookie connoisseurs, translating to over 2 billion cookies annually consumed, according to the survey. They conclude that the average American will eat more than 35,000 cookies over their lifetime. Results published in a report by Fooddive.com estimate that “sales in the cookie category hit $8.6 billion in the 12-month period ending Sept. 4, 2022, a 7.7% year-over-year increase.”

For the Davis Cookie Collection, preparation has met opportunity on steroids, and the Davis’s are up to the challenge, having put into place several effective distribution methods to deliver over 100 varieties of cookies and desserts to their loyal customers.

Their flagship, headquartered at 4926 Reading Road in Cincinnati’s historic Bond Hill neighborhood, had its grand opening on October 10, 2020. The store retails goods to the public and also houses the baking and production operations. The Davis’s also operate their catering business from this location.

As with many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Davis Cookie Collection has developed a strong internet component to their marketing and distribution plan, processing orders for pickup and delivery, as well as online catering services.

A popular turn of phrase in recent years describes ‘meeting people where they are’ in a range of circumstances. Not lost on Christina and Miles, they offer mobile service with their Cookie Truck, which may be booked for public or private events, including catering, parties, festivals, concerts, and similar celebratory venues.

In April 2023, the Davis Cookie Collection spread its wings wider to encompass the distribution of its brand through a major retail grocery channel, Kroger’s Supermarket. Call it a pilot program to introduce the Davis’s wares to a mass market, starting with an account at the Oakley Kroger, located on Marburg Avenue, 10 minutes from the Davis’s store.

Kroger, a 2700-store chain headquartered in Cincinnati, features 3 varieties of Davis Cookie Collection ready-to-bake cookie dough: Chocolate Chip Monster, Birthday Party, and Strawberry Shortcake.

Christina and Miles Davis Jr. have come a long way in a relatively short time from their former careers as social workers and firefighter-paramedics, respectively, and are deservedly enjoying the sweet taste of success.

Author: Regi Taylor