Captain Cookie Talks Business to Third and Fourth-year Students

By Jenna Spoont

Kirk Francis, aka "Captain Cookie" speaking to students in the Ivory Tower common room.

Imagine the combination of cookies, ice cream and milk sold out of two blue and yellow food trucks on the streets of Washington. Captain Cookie and the Milk Man made that image a reality.

Kirk Francis, baker-in-chief of Captain Cookie and the Milk Man food truck, spoke to third and fourth-year GW students in the Ivory Tower common room Monday about entrepreneurship. Ivory Tower house staff sponsored the event. Francis brought an array of his famous homemade cookies, including his chocolate chip, Nutella, peanut butter, oatmeal and ginger molasses flavors.

Francis began making cookies when he was four years old. Two years ago, he quit his job at the Department of Homeland Security and spent over 100 hours per week working to start his new food truck business.

During his speech on Monday, Francis emphasized that entrepreneurs need to be courteous to their competitors, investors, partners, employees and customers. Working as a professional businessman, he said, truly pays off in the end.

“People who are willing to put in the time and the effort are ultimately the ones who will succeed,” Francis said to students.

In the future, Francis plans on opening two food trucks in Florida due to the increased demand for food trucks.

“If you don’t expand, then you will get outcompeted. I think there are some wonderful food trucks who didn’t expand fast enough, and now the competitor is winning,” Francis said. “I don’t want to get left behind. Ice cream sandwiches are a good thing that people want and ice cream sandwich trucks succeed if they’re done right.”

Francis enjoys the GW customers, and loves to make their day with his witty remarks. One student told Francis that she needs Captain Cookie after her Friday psychology class.

“Everyone is quirky, and cool, and fun to talk to and smart. I enjoy chatting with them. I really [enjoy] the hundreds of individual relationships that I have formed,” Francis said.

Baked right in the truck, Francis provides seven to eight flavors of cookies. He said that his original chocolate chip flavor trumps all of the other types.

“I have been working on my chocolate chip cookies for 24 years. I tweak the recipes about every five years,” Francis said.

Expect special seasonal cookies in the food truck for the fall—Francis suggests the pumpkin walnut muffarroon.

Francis encouraged the students to act on their ideas, rather than doubting their chances of success.

“Give it a shot. Done is better than perfect,” Francis said.