Downtown Raleigh store known for milk and cookies expands to North Hills
A bakery known for its ice cream sandwiches and freshly baked cookies will open its second Raleigh location this year.
Captain Cookie & the Milk Man started as a food truck in Washington, D.C. in 2012. Founder Kirk Francis and his wife, Juliann, grew the single truck into a fleet and a brick-and-mortar next to the George Washington University campus, according to the company’s website.
After that, Captain Cookie expanded to Arlington, Virginia, and in 2019, the company opened its first North Carolina store, at Transfer Co. Food Hall in downtown Raleigh. The food hall at 500 E. Davie St. fills the historic Carolina Coach Garage and Shop and was the second food hall to open in the capital city, following Morgan Street Food Hall in the Warehouse District.
“We are thrilled to open our doors in North Hills and become a part of this wonderful community,” the Captain Cookie owners said in a press release. “Our mission has always been to spread joy through our delicious treats and our service to our community, and we can’t wait to share the cookie joy with our new neighbors.”
Kirk and Juliann Francis live in Raleigh and both attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The bakery is planning to open its second brick-and-mortar in the city’s North Hills area this fall; construction and permitting will affect the exact opening.
Here’s what we know about the new store.
Where will Captain Cookie & the Milk Man be?
Kirk and Juliann Francis have been eyeing North Hills for years, Kirk told The News & Observer, noting the developments planned for the area and its status as a hub for restaurants, shopping and entertainment.
The store will be in the Lassiter District at North Hills, between Sur La Table and Total Wine, at 4421 Six Forks Road, Suite 110. Previously, a retailer called Cariloha occupied the 600-square-foot space.
Construction will include transforming the space from an apparel store into a bakery, complete with ovens and freezers. Kirk Francis said the North Hills location will feature bright colors to give it the “exciting and jazzy” look that goes with the company’s superhero theme.
What does the bakery sell?
Customers will find freshly baked cookies in an assortment of flavors: chocolate chip, double chocolate, snickerdoodle, confetti, oatmeal raisin, ginger molasses, peanut butter and vegan chocolate chip. Captain Cookie also features a special flavor each week.
All of the recipes are developed by Kirk, who is a seasoned cookie baker.
The most popular order at the Transfer Co. Food Hall location is ice cream sandwiches, made with ice cream from Julian, North Carolina-based Homeland Creamery. Kirk Francis said some customers go with traditional flavors for their two cookies and ice cream, while others select something more adventurous.
Captain Cookie also serves edible cookie dough, cookie cakes and milkshakes. While no additional brick-and-mortar locations are currently on the horizon for the bakery, Kirk Francis said the company is working to expand its catering and wholesale offerings.
Other retailers coming to North Hills
North Hills visitors can expect to see several new businesses at the shopping district this year and beyond.
Apparel and accessories retailer johnnie-O is expected to open this summer, next to Anthropologie in the Main District.
- Just steps from the future Captain Cookie, construction is ongoing to make way for the popular Charlotte wine bar Foxcroft Wine Co., The News & Observer previously reported. The popular Charlotte wine bar expects to open a restaurant and wine bar at the North Hills location, next to Bul Box and Main & Taylor, by the end of the year. Foxcroft will be housed in the former Midtown Grille, which closed in 2022 after 17 years.
- The second North Carolina location for salad chain Sweetgreen will open at The Commons by the end of the year.
- Apparel retailers J. Crew and Madewell will join Limani Grille, Mia’s Bakery, Village Tavern and True Food Kitchen in the newly renovated Main District.
- Beer garden and brewery Standard Beer + Food, which has a location on Franklin Street, is expanding to the Innovation District, where it will have a 15,000-square-foot patio. The expected opening is early 2025.
- Altar’d State, a boutique offering clothing, accessories and home decor, plans to open in The Commons in summer 2025.
