What initially started out in 2013 as a pastime for Antoine Tang—baking cookies out of his home kitchen—has slowly turned into a sweet business. As part of an effort to scale up that was 12 years in the making, Tang operates two Antoine’s Cookies Shop outposts in Palo Alto and San Mateo, and he’s about to open a third store right here in the heart of downtown Los Gatos.
With a launch date coming in June, the niche business will sell only cookies—11 flavors, ranging from cookies and cream to chocolate chip—at a corner store on 35 W. Main St.
“I started my cookie shop business in 2013 out of my house as a cottage food business. I brought them to my work and church group, and then friends started asking to purchase a couple dozen cookies from me, which led me to begin a Yelp page,” Tang says, detailing how passion for a hobby evolved into a business.
Then, in late 2015, he had to shut off his SquareSpace site because he had too many orders and not enough resources. That led Tang to find his first retail space in San Mateo in 2016. Due to its success, Tang opened a second location in Palo Alto Town and Country Village in 2021.
Now, Tang says, the trajectory of Antoine’s Cookies is to open as many shops as the success of his business allows, with a fourth location in San Francisco to follow this coming July.
They hope to open 100 stores over the next decade
Though there were other locations that Tang considered in Los Gatos, he found himself right across the street from Icing on the Cake. Tang says that this was not by design, and if anything, he believes that being next to each other will make each business more powerful.
Tang says that he cares about the cookies, customers and employees, and says that every decision he makes comes with that in mind. For his various flavors, including honeycomb and oatmeal chocolate chip, Tang says, “I would never use a substitute for butter in the cookies like shortening or palm oil. I use pure vanilla extract and real eggs, never boxed eggs, as well as Guittard chocolate.”
Soon, patrons will be able to buy cookie dough as well—something Tang is starting first at the Los Gatos location.
After the launches in Los Gatos and San Francisco, Tang says he is reaching for the stars and aiming for 100 stores in the next 10 years. “Southern California, Texas and Chicago would be great to open locations in—even Manhattan, New York,” Tang says.
Wife Jennifer left her job in tech in January to join forces with her husband and get more involved with the business. Made out of a kitchen in Campbell, all cookies are then transported to the other locations.
In the wake of the recent closing of Lolli and Pops in downtown Los Gatos, Antoine’s Cookies and newly opened Petals Creamery will provide welcome dessert options for locals as well as people passing through. After the expected launch in June, hours of operation will be Monday–Saturday from 10am–8pm, with a closing time of 5pm on Sunday.
