George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Craig Pike, founder of Toronto’s beloved Craig's Cookies brand and 2007 Theatre Arts alumnus, has created a recipe for business success that combines his theatrical training with authentic entrepreneurship. What began as a way to pay a delinquent phone bill has grown into a thriving enterprise with 17 locations across Ontario.
An unexpected path
When Pike graduated from George Brown College (GBC), he had no plans to become a business owner. After working professionally in theatre across Canada for several years, including four seasons at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, he found himself temporarily without work.
"I started selling cookies on my bike to my friends to pay my phone bill," Pike recalls. This necessity quickly gained momentum through social media, helping him sell 200 dozen cookies in that first month alone. Pike balanced cookie-making with his theatre career for the next five years before opening his first retail location in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood in April 2018.
Using his mother's chocolate chip cookie recipe as a foundation, Pike's creative approach led to innovation and an expanding repertoire of tasty sensations.
"I remember being at a grocery store when some Pop-Tarts were on sale," Pike reflects. "A friend said, 'just put a pop tart in the cookie.'" That serendipitous experiment sparked a revelation: "If a pop tart can go in a cookie, then maybe anything can." This innovative thinking has spawned over 85 different cookie flavours.
Theatre education as business foundation
Pike credits his GBC education with providing essential transferable skills.
“In theatre, one of the most important things you learn is how to listen and be present with people. That's been such a component to the success of Craig's Cookies," Pike explains.
The improvisational concept of "Yes, and..." has also been particularly influential. "It’s the spirit of being open to any idea in the room and how to build things as opposed to taking things down."
Values and community impact
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Pike has integrated his authentic self into his business model.
"I really felt the responsibility as a business owner to let my values be a reflection in the story of Craig's Cookies," Pike states. This authenticity extends to his employees’ welfare, offering benefits including dental and mental health coverage, which are uncommon in the food service industry.
"If you're able to be successful from a monetary standpoint, find ways to give back. Find ways to take care of your teams," he advises.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, Pike emphasizes reframing challenges as learning opportunities and building strong teams. "It's telling yourself every day it's not a failure, it's an opportunity to learn," Pike says. "The only way Craig's has been successful is by bringing people together who are better than me."
From theatre student to successful entrepreneur, bringing joy "one cookie at a time," Craig Pike shows how GBC graduates can leverage their education to create unexpected paths to success while maintaining authentic values that build both business and community.
Get your start in theatre or business with the essential skills you need to succeed.
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Craig Pike (left) chats with Dr. Eileen DeCourcy, Vice President Academic (right), about his journey from student to entrepreneur.