For Krista, cookies have always been more than dessert.

“They're my favourite thing to bake. I bake all kinds of things, and I have my entire life, but cookies are something that I just fell in love with the process for. Whereas bread and other things like pie take longer, cookies are more like an immediate joy.”

“Cookies are really nostalgic to me. Like, I am amazed at the number of people that say, ‘Oh, my mother used to make those,’ or, like you said, ‘Oh, I remember making those with my mom.’”

23 & Co. began long before the first tray came out of the oven at Brock Street. Krista baked chocolate chip cookies as game-day treats for her husband, Todd Gill, a former NHL player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and over the years, for birthdays, team parties, and charity events, all while raising four children, and her dream of opening her own bakery stayed with her.

With her kids grown and her family’s encouragement, Krista decided it was time to take a chance and make her dreams a priority.

"I felt like I was taking a chance on myself. Women, especially at this age, that’s what happens… you think about yourself again, and whether you’ve checked all the boxes yet, or what you still need to grow."

With her daughter’s help, she launched an Instagram account, posted a callout for cookie orders, and soon filled parking-lot pickups with pre-sold batches. Fun fact: the number 23 comes from her husband's jersey number.

Baking in a tiny cottage kitchen with two dogs and one small oven quickly became impossible. She shared space with another downtown favourite, NOSH, before finding the perfect spot on Brock Street.

“I really wanted to control the product, the brand, and the customer experience. We get a lot of comments on how friendly and warm and inviting the shop is, and that’s really important to me. You smell the fresh-baked cookies, and you’re greeted immediately with a friendly smile and an engaging conversation with whoever is behind the counter. I wanted people to feel welcome and know I appreciate each one of them coming through the door.”

That care and attention extends to the cookies themselves. For Krista, the perfect cookie is all about substance.

"It has to be substantial. I like them to be thick… short and stubby, but very substantial. You bite into it, it might be a little doughy on the inside, but the outside edges are all crisp and baked. And while chocolate chip is our mainstay, I also love the old-fashioned kinds—molasses, hermits, oatmeal raisin.”

Their cookie dough is cured overnight and freshly baked each morning, with most cookies sold out by the end of the day. If you want some, order ahead or get there early, because these are cookies you really can’t get anywhere else.

Part of what makes her cookies exceptional, besides her homegrown baking skill and unique recipes, is the quality of the ingredients. Krista sources her chocolate from another downtown gem, Tara Natural Foods.

The menu celebrates both nostalgia and creativity. New flavours, including seasonal ones, are developed through trial, error, and plenty of taste testing.

“When I first started, I was just going to do chocolate chip cookies and varieties. We’ve been working really hard on an espresso-flavour chocolate cookie. We finally got to the point where we thought we could release it, so now we have a Dark Chocolate Espresso Toffee, and it’s delicious.”

“Evelyn, who works with me, is pickier than I am,” Krista laughs. “Sometimes I’ll think a cookie’s ready, and she’ll say, ‘Nope, not good enough.’ It’s a great balance. And often we’ll let customers try experimental batches for feedback—it makes them part of the process.”