Our Story
Gourmet
We bake extraordinary cookies and cupcakes with the freshest and highest quality ingredients from select purveyors who uphold our standards.
Premium Ingredients
Our gourmet pastries are always made from scratch using the most natural ingredients possible including organic sugar, as well as ingredients free of artificial additives, colors and preservatives.
We also strive to source local ingredients whenever possible.
People
We feel our success is a combination of our valuable team and our loyal customers.
Community
We believe in social responsibility. We work towards creating less waste in our production, use recyclable packaging, and support our community with financial pledges, volunteer time and sharing the goodness of cookies with local charities.
How We Began
Husband and wife team, Brady and Shaun Breese are nearly natives of Phoenix. They attended Arizona State University, graduated in 1998, and married in 2001. In 2005, over a Sunday morning breakfast, they hatched an idea that combined Brady’s cooking talent with Shaun’s marketing background – the centerpiece was the Urban Cookie, a dark chocolate walnut cookie that Shaun made for friends and family for years. After six months of research, their dream became a reality Nov. 1, 2005, in the kitchen of Florence Crittenton, a local non-profit organization. With simplicity and quality as the cornerstones of the business, the couple took their idea to the next level with unique, funky gift packaging and gourmet all natural ingredients. The couple’s strong belief in social responsibility also was incorporated into the company.
Community Work
Urban Cookies' commitment to its community started on day one when its owners created a trade agreement with the non-profit that gave them their start – free use of their kitchen in exchange for teaching some of their at-risk teen girls to bake and run a business. To this day, Urban Cookies continues to support Florence Crittenton's mission with cash donations and in-kind cookie and gift donations for fund raisers.
Throughout the years, Urban Cookies has provided additional job training and mentorship to clients from organizations such as Good Will of Central Arizona and Southwest Autism Resource and Research Center. In addition, it provides internship experiences to culinary institute students from across the Valley, allowing them the rare opportunity to learn directly from a small business owner.
In 2010, Urban Cookies, in partnership with Shamrock Farms launched its Milk & Cookies community project. Fulfilling its mission to make people feel good, Urban Cookies' goal was simply to bring the joy and comfort of milk and cookies to children and families in need. Visiting organizations such as Phoenix Children's Hospital, Child Crisis Nursery and Florence Crittenton, Urban Cookies' Milk & Cookies project touched more than 500 kids and families in the Valley.
From 2011-2017, Urban Cookies pledged its support to Kitchen on the Street, a local start-up non-profit dedicated to turning hunger into hope by providing meals to school kids on the weekends when they would otherwise go hungry. Its annual support includes cash donations, volunteer time, marketing support and hosting food drives throughout the year.
Beginning in 2021, every month Urban Cookies helps two amazing organizations spread love, joy, & frosting by baking custom cakes for special kiddos.
For Goodness Cakes: this non-profit's mission is to make sure every child in foster care has a personalized cake for their birthday- which is where Urban Cookies comes in!
Ryan House: this organization embraces all children and their families as they navigate life-limiting or end-of-life journeys. Urban Cookies provides custom birthday cakes for the precious children in their care.
Waste Reduction Initiative
Urban Cookies strives to reduce waste by selling yesterday's sweets at half cost and partnering with Waste Not, a non-profit organization that rescues excess food from businesses and delivers it to people in need.
Press and Awards
Phoenix New Times - Best of Phoenix - Best Cookies - 2023
Phoenix Mag - Best of the Valley - Best Bakery- 2022
Phoenix Mag - Best of the Valley - Best Cookies - 2021
Phoenix New Times - Best of Phoenix- Best Cookies - 2020
Best Bakery in Arizona - businessinsider.com/foursquare.com - 2015
Phoenix New Times - Best of Phoenix - "Best Cupcake: Orange Blossom" - 2013
Featured in "The Great American Chocolate Chip Cookies Book," Carolyn Wyman, 2013
Winners Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, Season 3 "Miss USA" – 2011
Winners Cupcake Love-In “Most Outrageous Cupcake” – 2011
Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Impact Award Nominee – 2011
Phoenix New Times – Best of Phoenix – 2009
APS' AAAME Business Mentorship Program – Class 12 – 2009
Rachael Ray Show – Snack of the Day – 2009
Lexus Hybrid Living – Retail Partner – 2008
Sundance Film Festival – Greenroom Partner – 2008
Phoenix Magazine – Best of the Valley – 2007
HGTV – Best Place to Start a Business – 2007
Phoenix New Times – Best of Phoenix – 2007
Associations
We are proud members of Local First Arizona
