Welcome to Partner Provisions! In honor of National Ice Cream Month, we’ll be introducing you to the incredible people behind our favorite frozen treats to share their stories of sweet success.
Restaurant Partner Spotlight
- Name: Juliann Francis
- Company: Captain Cookie and the Milkman
- City: Washington DC
- Website: captaincookiedc.com
- Instagram Handle: captaincookiedc
What is Captain Cookie and the Milkman?
A handmade cookie shop that serves local dairy and is famous for its made-to-order ice cream sandwiches!
Tell us Captain Cookie and the Milkman’s Story.
We (Kirk and Juliann Francis) dreamt up this superhero-themed dessert shop based on Kirk’s love for cookies and a mutual desire to do good in the world. Much of the profits of the business go toward saving the world one cookie at a time – mostly directed at hunger-ending causes in our home city of DC. Local ice cream is the perfect sidekick to fresh, gooey cookies!
What’s your dream for Captain Cookie and the Milkman?
We envision our company growing to include more locations in the DMV and regionally so that we can grow our support for local charities.
What was the very first item at Captain Cookie and the Milkman?
The best chocolate chip cookie ever made!
Tell us about one of your signature items!
Kirk has been working on this chocolate chip cookie recipe since he was 4 years old (really) – it has been perfected! We test it against every “famous” and “best” recipe we encounter, and we’re confident that we’ve got it right!
What’s your favorite thing about bringing Captain Cookie and the Milkman to offices?
The pure joy – what better break from a workday than a made-to-order ice cream sandwich!?
What is one thing not many know about Captain Cookie and the Milkman?
Our food trucks are all doing this job in their retirement – one was converted from a Washington Post delivery truck, another was a plumbing repair vehicle!
What is your biggest challenge as a restaurateur?
Balancing growth with smooth business operations.
What piece of advice would you offer to a new restaurateur or someone starting out in the food business?
Prepare to work 18 hours a day (at least)!
Tell us about a time where Captain Cookie and the Milkman played a role in bringing people together or helped to foster community.
We’ve just begun a commercial incubator kitchen for small and mid-sized food startup companies called Tastemakers, in NE DC. It’s a place for the food creatives of DC to unite and grow. We involve the neighborhood in this through a front-of-house gourmet food hall, where Captain Cookie also has its second local shop. It’s a community-based effort around food and all the wonderful connections that come with it!
How has office catering and Zerocater’s partnership helped your business grow?
It’s helped us diversify our business model and has allowed us to do more business in the off-season/cooler months.
