The Chippo Cookie Company
Cheers to a New Chapter, a New Cookie
By Mounika Joshi Bollu
Long before Jenna Johns was baking professionally, she and her brother shared a running childhood joke inspired by a favourite book, Chocolate Chippo Hippo. Today, that playful memory has transformed into Chippo Cookie Co., a new baking venture in Thunder Bay offering small-batch cookies with big flavour. Built around tried-and-true recipes with a modern twist, the business is also a new chapter for Johns, rooted in family, memories, and community.
When asked why she chose cookies, Johns says she saw a gap in the market. There are plenty of choices for pastries and cupcakes, but she felt there was not the same variety when it came to cookies. She started baking cookies and giving them to friends and family. Over time, what started as something she was making for the people around her began to take shape as a business.
Chippo Cookie Co. has three staple cookies: Salty Buckwheat Chocolate Chunk, the “Tux” Reverse White Chocolate Chip, and the Pink Almond. The other flavours will change weekly, with options such as a Chewy Salted Caramel, Dot Cake, and Cookies and Cream. Johns says her favourite is the Salty Buckwheat Chocolate Chunk cookie, which she originally thought would only be suitable for a more mature palate. But when she saw that children liked it too, it gave her an unexpected confidence boost.
Starting a business is a new experience for Johns, but she says many of the skills she has developed throughout her career are transferable. She comes from a serious and fast-paced work environment. Also, she says skills such as coordination and management have helped her as a first-time business owner.
“I’m really liking it. It’s lots more fun,” she says. “I am seeing a way to involve myself in the community in a very different way now. I am also on social media now. I want to get people involved.”
For Johns, the cookies themselves are connected to something much more personal. “I measure it with my heart,” she says. She also bakes using her grandmother’s equipment, which gives the business another connection to her family.
For customers looking to select their order from the weekly menu, orders start on Sunday and close on Tuesday, with pickup available on Saturday afternoons until sold out. She also has a couple of tables booked at Intercity Shopping Centre in November and December, giving people another opportunity to discover the new cookie company. She also mentions that she offers a loyalty card to help customers keep track of their orders, which earns them a free cookie at the end.
As Chippo Cookie Company continues to grow, Johns is looking forward to seeing where the business takes her. What started with a childhood memory and a love of baking is becoming a new way for her to connect with people, bring family memories into something new, and become part of the community.
For more information, follow @chippocookieco on Instagram.
