Lion Cub’s Cookies

Meet Bradley Kaplan. He’s not your typical Midwestern small-business owner. Spreading via the roots of Instagram reshares and word of mouth, the cookie business Kaplan started has grown exponentially as more customers seek out his unusual baked goods. From ghost kitchen to the customer’s house, Kaplan has created an experience that focuses on community engagement.

The origin story of Lion Cub’s Cookies is a wholesome one. The cookie-making business started out as a hobby, fueled by an innate curiosity to create cookies unique to Columbus. At the time, Kaplan was also going to business school at Ohio State University and the idea grew from there. Each of his cookies is carefully weighed and shaped during the production process to create a dessert that is slightly crispy on the outside with a soft cookie-dough-like center that he describes as “ooey-gooey.” The ever-changing flavors range from the typical chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin to more complex combinations, including PB&J, fluffernutter, maple bacon, puppy chow and oatmeal white chocolate cranberry.

From the start, Lion Cub’s Cookies was anything but a household name. But it was a name that echoed across social media and into the concrete halls of the North Market for Kaplan’s first cookie pop-up in December 2019. And it was this first pop-up that changed the game.

Asked about that day, Kaplan recalls feeling a mix of emotions before the doors opened. “I remember before the first pop-up wondering what was going to happen and if anyone was even going to show up. My brother had invested a small sum into the company at the time and we had no idea what to expect. We sold 400 cookies that day. But after seeing all those people that day and seeing all those sales, I remember going back to my brother and saying that ‘This [is] going to be the best investment of your life.’”

Dough for cookies is shaped and weighed.

Left: Icing is added to some types. Right: Toppings are added to the Puppy Chow cookie.

Kaplan is now fully committed to the world of cookie making. What started out as a business of one has transformed into a working machine complete with recipe developers/bakers and drivers. But aside from the cookies themselves, Lion Cub’s Cookies has made a name for itself as a brand. The commitment and devotion to customers is seen through every step and every member of the business. And throughout the course of this past year, Kaplan and his team have created something for the city that it has been desperately seeking: connection.

When the pandemic initially shut the doors of businesses throughout the country, Kaplan saw the great impact that it made on his employees. Determined to find an answer, he introduced a cookie delivery service as a way to serve his employees, and also as a way to bring back a semblance of joy into the lives of his community. The concept that has made Lion Cub’s Cookie stand out is the practice of dispatching the same delivery driver to the same neighborhoods to help build a relationship with the customers. This has created a more personable experience for both the customers and the drivers, because both sides are able to check in and get to know each other. And during the unique experience of dealing with the pandemic, many people have been craving the human interaction that they lost.

“Having the same delivery driver coming out with our weekly batch of cookies has helped to bridge that void of socialization,” Kaplan said, providing the sort of connection “that we have all been desperately seeking.”

Kaplan said there have been some “really cool” interactions sparked by the cookies, mentioning two that stood out. “One girl … actually spoke with me via Zoom and started crying after talking about all the hardships that she’s faced this past year. She described how the cookies have been able to help take her mind off the struggles and hardships that she’s had to endure. That was truly incredible to see how the cookies have impacted those in the community,” he says.

A finished Puppy Chow cookie

Kaplan at the site of his soon-to-open store in Grandview

The other story he told was about the Ronald McDonald House. “They do such incredible work there. But the people there have grown to know my car as it pulls up to the driveway, ready with the next delivery of cookies,” he said. “I was talking with a guy that works there and he was just saying that one delivery of cookies just simply melts away the sadness and rough things that are happening. It helps to bring a little spark of joy into the day, and everyone always looks forward to it.”

To continue with the sparks of joy, Lion Cub’s Cookies is set to open a brick-and-mortar store this spring at 1261 Grandview Ave., in the heart of Grandview Heights. Cookies will be readily available, fresh, warm and ready for the taking.

When asked about what continues to drive him to bring the business to where it is today, Kaplan admits to enjoying “seeing where it takes me, the success of the company.” For him, that first bite of the oven-fresh cookie means everything. It means “validation.”

So there you are, Columbus. I introduce to you, Lion Cub’s Cookies: a little bit sweet, a little bit warm and a whole lot of joy.

Learn more about the company and see the cookie menu at lioncubscookies.com.