This month’s business highlight is featuring Shannon Boyle from Uncle Chip’s Cookies (1514 North Capitol Street, NW). Opened in 2012, Uncle Chips brings delicious cookies, sandwiches, and more to the North Capitol Main Street community.
Tell us a little about your business. When were you founded and why?
Uncle Chip’s was founded based on my profound love for the Chocolate Chip Cookie. Not only do we make cookies that are crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, but we also make sandwiches at our shop on North Capitol Street. We opened on January 03, 2012 so soon we will have 9 years on North Capitol Street!
Tell us a little about yourself and your life.
I moved here from San Francisco to start Uncle Chip’s in my mid 20’s. The idea to start the company came to me at a dinner party in Berkeley. I was working as an advocate for the homeless at the Bar Association of San Francisco at the time and applying to law school. To get through some of the stress of working in such a difficult field, I took to baking cookies and nailing down the perfect recipe during my time at the Bar. In the back of my mind, I think I knew what a horrible law student I would be, and I thought at the dinner party – I’ll start a cookie company and it will be called Uncle Chip’s! My real Uncle Chip is my mom’s youngest brother and he is in full support of having a bakery named after him.
What is unique about your business?
Everything! All of our recipes for our baked goods I do myself, and the sandwich menu is also pretty unique. I’d say the most surprising thing about our cookies is that they don’t have egg in them. We use a flax mixture that is not only healthier, and tastier but also helps to extend the life of our products. We use eggs in some other things here, but not in the cookies!
How can the community support you right now?
The community has been so wonderful since day one of the pandemic. We are really lucky because most of our customers are regulars so we know each other. Some people have made it a point to eat lunch with us once or twice a week, others are shipping cookies to family, friends and health care workers. We even had somebody just give us great reviews on social media after being a regular for the past five years to help spread the word. It’s all appreciated and every little bit really does make a difference. I’m very thankful we are part of such an enthusiastic community that really does care. We’re feeling the love for sure.
Tell us what you love about the neighborhood you serve?
I think my favorite part of the North Capitol corridor is that it is truly a city experience just a tad north of downtown. We have office workers, social workers, school kids, neighborhood residents, tourists and people of all ages that come in for cookies and sandwiches. Coming from SF, to me a city is about the mix of experiences, people and culture all in one tiny area. North Capitol definitely delivers as we’re not just residential or just a commuter corridor. We are a place to get out, stop and enjoy everything happening on our bustling street. And doing that is even better with a Chocolate Chip Cookie, of course.
Link to article: http://northcapitoldc.com/business-highlight-shannon-boyle-uncle-chips-cookies/