Kristen Tomlan knows a little something about the sweeter things in life. The Chesterfield native and graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy (we know you were wondering!) left a successful career as a design consultant in New York to follow her dreams and open a treat shop focused on everyone’s favorite baking guilty pleasure: cookie dough! Her flagship store, DŌ, Cookie Dough Confections, in New York City has made a big splash among foodies and sweet lovers alike, and now, Tomlan has brought the brand home to the StL.
Were you always interested in cooking?
I became intrigued at a pretty early age. My mom was always in the kitchen, and I learned the ins and outs from her. I’ve always had the biggest sweet tooth, so I took on the role of family baker. I liked having something sweet to share with people and would always volunteer to bring birthday treats for friends and family. I was constantly making cakes, cookies and brownies—anything I could decorate and put sprinkles on! I enjoyed experimenting and making a mess. I was constantly making my mom run out to the store and get ingredients because all I wanted to do was bake.
Did you always want a culinary career?
I wasn’t really planning on it at all. It was something that was a passion and hobby. I’ve always enjoyed the process of meal planning and experimenting in the kitchen. Even living in a tiny New York apartment, I still was making treats. It was honestly just for fun for the longest time.
What inspired you to start DŌ?
I was with a bunch of girlfriends in Philadelphia, and we went to a cookie shop. It had all sorts of baked treats and fresh cookies, but the only thing we bought was a tub of take-and-bake cookie dough. We were passing the tub around, and I wondered why there wasn’t a place we could buy scoops of cookie dough like ice cream. As a consumer, I wanted that option, and I thought I could create a fun experience t
What were the biggest challenges with opening your own business?
It was a slow transition. I was working as a brand strategy and design consultant. The dream was a brick-and-mortar retail location, but I didn’t have the experience or the money to open a shop in New York initially. I launched online to learn about the business and my consumers. I wanted to see what worked and what didn’t. At first, I thought it was something I could do on nights and weekends, but the idea took off. I didn’t have enough time to do my normal day job, too, so I decided to pursue it full-time in 2015. I knew I would regret it if I didn’t see it through. After gaining popularity, we got a production kitchen and shipped from there. People started showing up in person to buy cookie dough! It wasn’t set up as a retail location, but it inspired me to go back to my original idea and do a storefront. Our flagship store in Greenwich Village opened in January 2017. It was a huge risk, and I put everything I had out on a limb, but the response has been amazing.
You discovered you were gluten-intolerant. How did that impact your approach to DŌ?
When I was developing the concept, it was important for me to create recipes that allow everyone to have a little bit of everything. I was really conscious of dietary restrictions, so we have gluten-free, vegan and nut-free options. It’s part of my mission to allow people to eat how they want.
How do you want to see DŌ expand in the future?
We’re always looking for new locations and partnerships. Our products already ship nationwide, and more are being developed that are shelf-stable and can be sold in stores. We’re also doing a lot of pop-ups and other fun things in New York and other cities to gain experience and keep things fresh and different. We’ve started catering, which is a fun way to bring cookie dough to a party or event. •What is your favorite cookie? It’s really hard for me to choose, but I love Heavenly, our sugar cookie base with Nutella, chocolate chips, caramel bits and sea salt. I like it best when it’s halfway baked, so it’s warm and gooey in the center with crispy edges.
DŌ is now available at Straub’s. How does it feel to bring your creation to St. Louis?
It’s really fun to see when I visit and pop into the store! I still have a lot of friends and family in St. Louis who have been following my journey. It has been great to partner with people to make sure the brand is in my hometown.
Photos: Dina Coloma