BEHIND THE STOREFRONT:
COOKIE JAR
Owners Eric and Algerine of Cookie Jar, a dessert shop in the Belleville Downtown District, specialize in fresh and custom cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Taking decadent to the next level, find some of the best tiramisu and macarons around.
Interview by Kaya Pereira
Read time: 2 min
Where are you from?
Algerine and I are originally from Toronto. However, I grew up in Ottawa while my wife is from the Philippines.
Why did you make the move to Belleville?
We moved from Toronto to Belleville because we wanted a quieter place to raise our kids. And of course, my wife’s passion for making delicious baked goods and cakes never went away. Knowing we planned to spend our future here, we decided to pursue the dream, and well, the rest is history!
Tell us a bit about your business.
Cookie Jar is a boutique bakery that specializes in everything sweet and delicious. It started as a passion project from my wife, a self-taught baker. Now, several years later, it’s blossomed into a successful bakery that is the go-to spot for custom cakes, cookies, and all kinds of treats.
What were you doing before you started operating a location downtown?
Cookie Jar originally started in Toronto, providing small cakes for events. After moving to Belleville in 2018, we decided to relaunch here. We were very close to opening a shop around 2020, but decided to pause when the pandemic hit. During that time, Cookie Jar was a home-based business before we officially opened our store in 2023.
What’s something about you that we would never know?
I’m an avid soccer player and my wife loves building things.
What’s your vision of a thriving downtown Belleville?
Belleville really is all about community. Despite how quickly the city is growing, there is a thriving community here. I’m excited to see how many of the new developments downtown turn out as this part of the city has a lot of charm and potential.
FOLLOW ALONG
Follow Cookie Jar on Facebook or Instagram to keep up with the latest in the bakery and visit their cookiejar.ca for information about custom orders.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kaya Pereira is a local artist and owner of Bazaar Artisan Market in the Belleville Downtown District. Bazaar provides a space for local artisans to sell products like jewellery, art, pottery, soaps and decor. Follow Bazaar on Instagram or Facebook to see what’s new in the shop.
