Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ryan Jones. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ryan , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Hot Cookie was established in 1997 in the heart of the Castro – San Francisco’s historic “gayborhood”. The first time I entered the store 20+ years ago and bought a Butch Bar, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would someday be one of the owners.

When my close friend retired shortly after coming out later in life, we decided that he needed a project and decided he wanted to start a business. He specifically wanted to create something fun with the people who now were central to his life as a gay man. So he invited me, along with his new boyfriend and adopted son, to go into business together. Buying Hot Cookie was the eventual outcome of this inspired idea.

I never thought I had the right mindset to be on the business side of things. But quickly found that my administrative background, community-building skills, and creativity could be of great value to our growing cookie empire. Throwing my money, energy, and talent into something so very different from my previous career has led to an incredible amount of growth for me in surprising ways.

Ryan , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hot Cookie is one of the original erotic bakery concepts in the United States, We specialize in tasty treats and cookies with a chewy, homemade quality, and a racy twist. Our business celebrates sexual expression and playfulness with provocative names and of course, our famous penis and vagina cookies and signature underwear.

We focus on three things: Cookies, Customers, and Community. We strive for our Cookies to be unique, delicious, and of the best quality possible. But we are far more than a cookie store. We are an entirely unique Customer experience. From the moment you enter our small storefront, the experience of the senses begins. Upbeat music and the laughter of patrons fills the air along with the smell of fresh-baked goodies. The cookies – especially our naughty novelty items – are a sight to behold as are the photos of our customers decked out in our signature undies which cover the walls. All this leads to that delicious moment when you get your first taste of a Hot Cookie.

Finally, we are committed to supporting the Community in a variety of ways. We are active participants in local organizations and give regularly to local services, organizations, and programs that help make San Francisco the unique place that it is. In particular, we donate to agencies that serve the LGBTQI+ community and those that help make San Francisco a vibrant, inclusive, and diverse place – including support for local arts and entertainment, community resources and advocacy groups, and programs for youth.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first entered into the Hot Cookie venture, I was largely the silent partner. I attended quarterly business meetings, helped once in a while in our storefront, and chimed on when asked on creative decisions. At the time, I was a director level administrator in higher education administration at a local university with 20 years of experience in that field. In the summer of 2019, I decided to leave my current position and look for a new opportunity in the field. While job-searching, we decided to open a second location in San Francisco and I came on board to help design and build the business and marketing plan for the new store while simultaneously applying for a full-time role in higher ed.

This plan was progressing nicely and we opened our second location in February 2020. Six weeks later, COVID hit. We had barely had a month of sales under our belt at the new location when the world turned upside down. Like all businesses, we rapidly had to figure out how to navigate in this new reality, We shifted our focus from walk-in business to online sales and delivery – both local and national. We ramped up our marketing to implement these changes. We also had to manage the ever-changing health regulations and face the endless challenges of sourcing ingredients as the supply chain collapsed. Not to mention the staffing challenges that came with the pandemic. It was definitely an “all hands on deck” kind of moment.

Which meant the business needed me in new ways beyond just launching the new store. The searches I was a finalist for in higher education also came to a screeching halt as colleges and universities dealt with the broad impact of the pandemic. My previous career path was stalled as a result. So I doubled down in my role with Hot Cookie and seeing it through the challenges of the last few years.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

While this is something that happened before I owned Hot Cookie, it was a pivotal moment in our marketing and brand identity.

The original owner had started selling t-shirts with the Hot Cookie logo. The business was still relatively new and building its identity. The suggestive name was part of the appeal in the sex-positive Castro neighborhood and our cookies were becoming a favorite late-night snack with the bar-hopping locals. The staff has started shaping coconut macaroons into penises and these became wildly popular. A local gay porn company asked to film a scene in the shop which only added to our growing notoriety among the local gay community (in a good way).

Our t-shirt supplier by chance had overstock of red underwear and asked if we’d consider order undies with our logo at a considerable discount. This “happy accident” led to the creation of the Hot Cookie underwear and a truly iconic and one-of-a-kind customer experience. The porn company promoted their new video with their actors in Hot Cookie underwear. A picture or two of them were posted in the store and soon customers wanted a pair… and their picture on the wall as well. This was before Instagram and TikTok but went viral on a local level. Even now, customers from decades ago will return to Hot Cookie and try to find their pic in the mosaic of hundreds of customer pics that adorn our wall. This simple product risk helped make Hot Cookie iconic and a rite of passage for locals and visitors to the Castro.

Contact Info:

• Website: hotcookie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotcookie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hotcookie/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-jones-78b40314/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hotcookiesf
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hot-cookie-san-francisco