Pink Door Opens Gourmet Cookie Storefront, and There are Actual Sprinkles Embedded in the Floor

Comforting chocolate chip, nostalgic PBJ cookies, and more from pastry chef Mathew Rice at the new Chestnut Hill walk-up cookie window

by Delia Jo Ramsey@EaterNashville Dec 21, 2020, 11:30am CST

Pink Door Cookies, from pastry chef Mathew Rice, debuted in early December its first storefront in Chestnut Hill, a small space with a walk-up window offering stunning (and delicious) gourmet cookies for take-home consumption.

Located on the ground floor of the BentoLiving in Chestnut Hill building at 321 Hart Street, Pink Door is the comforting, albeit COVID-19-inspired, quarantine cookie creation by pastry chef Mathew Rice that Nashville really needed. Rice most recently worked as the pastry chef at Pastaria. In April, after being laid off due to the pandemic, Rice began offering cookies each week for preorder after an astounding number of replies to an Instagram story to gauge interest. Rice immediately succeeded, baking hundreds of cookies each week, all available for contactless pickup each weekend on the front porch of his home, which was marked by a pink door.

Standouts cookie flavors include Rice’s signature chocolate chip, a nostalgic, purple-splashed PB&J cookie, cotton candy cookies, and many more. They’re available by the cookie but can also be purchased by half-dozen or by the dozen for sharing. Rotating “gluten-free-ish” options are also available — wheat-free cookies, but they are made in the same kitchen as the other cookies.

Upon entry to the tiny space, which has plenty of COVID-19 precautions are in place, including a foot door pull for no-touch entry. Touchland hand sanitizer, and a glass partition at the indoor ordering window also help keep customers and staff safe.A baby pink menu beside the window lists flavor options for the day, while fun polaroids of each cookie list ingredients on the right. On the left, a merch wall displays neon logo shirts, mugs, hats, and more for sale.

On opening amid a pandemic with no end in sight, Rice said he just wanted to bring some type of comfort during a scary, uncertain time for all. Rice began with the classic chocolate chip and built on from there, adding new classic and reimagined flavor each week — most all which are now featured on a rotating basis in the new storefront.

“I’ve wanted to open a cookie shop since I moved to Nashville, and even though this is the year of most uncertainty, I just felt like everyone needed cookies. What started as texted orders and front porch pickups has led to lots of new friends, and now a place for sharing what I love with anyone needing a sweet treat. I just want to try and help make your day a tiny bit better,” says Rice.

For now, Pink Door Cookies is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’re closed on Mondays. Pink Door will close for the holidays from December 24 through 28, but after that, verify on Instagram for schedule.