Queen City Cookies Debuts Expanded Café

Queen City Cookies in Cincinnati has expanded its award-winning sweets and menu offerings with the opening of a new bakery café. Queen City Cookies’ new location is in a repurposed, historic rectory of the old St. Pius Church complex.  

Founder Peggy Shannon gutted the 9,000-square-foot building, removing wood paneling and drop ceilings to create a whimsical café with two seating areas.

The café’s decor channels the magic of India, Mexico and Cincinnati among its vibrant pink, yellow, periwinkle, and metallic gold walls. From Mexican tile inlay on the stairways and counter to its hand-stamped walls and floor, each room offers a snippet in the diverse experiences of Shannon’s life.

“The new café allows more access to fans of our bakery to enjoy their favorite desserts and discover new ones as we continue on our mission to make the world a little bit sweeter every day,” said Shannon.

A full coffee and espresso bar, and expanded pastry case featuring both sweet and savory items are also available. “I’m especially excited about our recent invention of two new pastries: the croschnecken and Schnecken bread pudding. With the croschnecken, we created a buttery delight somewhere between a croissant and Schnecken. Best of all, both items are sized for single serve, for diet-conscious and smaller families,” said Shannon.

Queen City Cookies’ bakery café is also now home to Madisono’s Gelato & Sorbet first scoop shop. Founded by Matt Madison, a Food & Wine magazine tastemaker award-winner in 2004, Madisono’s offers hand-scooped gelato and sorbet, with specialty flavors only available at this retail location. Cinnamon Maple Schnecken gelato is already a local favorite. All products are available in pints to take away.

Each quarter, Queen City Cookies raises money and awareness for a different nonprofit. This quarter, Queen City Cookies supports Caracole, the first organization in Ohio to provide housing for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Queen City Cookies is selling Blueberry Schnecken by the slice or loaf, with proceeds going to Caracole. People can also help the organization by donating personal toiletries in the café, which are given to the individuals supported by Caracole.