Image courtesy of The Dapper Fox
At first the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and cookies might not appear to have anything in common, but for Alexandria native Alex Reponen, they do.
After serving as a CIA operations officer around the globe for over a decade, Reponen decided to leave the government and return to his hometown and pursue another passion – baking.
With his background in science, Reponen worked to protect the United States from the threat of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Now, he uses his knowledge of science to create gourmet pre-formed cookie dough that he delivers directly to customers for them to pop in the freezer to bake whenever they get a sugar craving.
Reponen talked about how the science behind baking is one of the draws for him. “Baking and pastry rewards precision and knowledge of chemistry, the interaction of ingredients, plus the idea that in baking you can rarely adjust along the way. I’ve always enjoyed pursuits that reward precision and accuracy,” he said.
Reponen worked for two years at a small start-up bakery in the D.C. area where he honed his baking skills and techniques. In 2017 he went out on his own and started The Dapper Fox Bakery in the kitchen of his Rosemont home. He worked on commission and made everything from biscuits and pies to cakes, tarts and cookies.
During the pandemic, Reponen had a revelation that would completely alter his business. “After I would have a commission of cookies for a customer that would be baked and packaged when they were delivered, I always had a few left over in the freezer as dough and occasionally I would just bake one at a time for my wife if she had a hankering for something sweet. It occurred to me there is something perfect about having a single warm cookie when you want it and on demand. What if I could make this dough and make it available for customers to order in small batches?” he explained.
On his Instagram account for The Dapper Fox Bakery, Reponen posted his first flavor of bake at home cookies called “Chocolate (Potato + Chocolate) Chip” which mixed crunchy potato chips into a double chocolate chunk cookie. That first week, he had 96 cookies to deliver to 8 addresses. Now, he regularly delivers 800 – 1,000 cookies a day to 60 to 70 addresses from Lorton to Silver Spring – all from the back of his small-but-efficient Volkswagen Golf.
Demand for the cookies has grown so much that Reponen has purchased a commercial freezer, which is currently located in his living room. The size of orders varies depending on the rotating weekly flavor. Reponen estimates he has 200-225 regular customers.
New cookie flavors are posted on Sunday and orders are due on Wednesday. Friday is delivery day but sometimes, delivery has had to spill over to another day or two. One of the most popular flavors has been a brown butter, pecan, bourbon, dark chocolate and sea salt cookie. Funfetti is also popular. The current record breaker flavor is peanut butter with classic M&Ms, which sold more than 1,100 cookies. Reponen is learning which flavors are less likely to sell too, like his take on the classic oatmeal raisin cookie, which was a hit with those who love that flavor but only sold about one-third of normal sales.
When asked where the name The Dapper Fox came from, Reponen said that his last name is Finnish for “clan of the fox.”
In his previous career, he was known for dressing up in three-piece suites and bow ties so he decided to merge these ideas with a Victorian, old-fashioned inspired branding. Reponen explained that it is meant to evoke “simple pleasures of things done well to a high standard, elegance and simplicity.” This is reflected in the unique recipies he creates for his cookies as well as the personal attention customers receive when he delivers directly to their doors.
Beyond the science and creativity of baking, it is the human interaction that is Reponen’s favorite part of the job. “It’s bringing that little bit of joy to people in an otherwise bleak time right now, but also it’s the simple pleasure of the cookie. I think even post-pandemic, people are going to enjoy baking just a cookie when you need it, when you want it,” he reflected.
Reponen has even bigger plans for his business after the pandemic passes.
“I’d really like to do some greater good with this business,” he explained. “Whether that’s bringing awareness to an issue or if that’s creating a social enterprise, perhaps by employing communities of people that couldn’t otherwise find employment or skill sets. I’d like to expand it, but I think the thrust of it would be towards a social enterprise, doing good – that happens to sell cookies.”
He went on to explain how the cookie delivery experience has inspired his desire to give back to the community. “I’ve been invited, albeit virtually, into so many different homes that really span all sorts of socioeconomic sectors and people’s individual situations. When you’re given that opportunity, to be in front of so many different people who like your product, it feels like it would be a wasted opportunity. If I can do something good beyond bringing you cookies – shouldn’t I do that?”
Reponen’s passion for community, in particular Alexandria, is evident when he talks. He moved to the City in the 1980s and attended St. Stephen’s before it merged with St. Agnes during his freshman year in high school. It was in high school that he met his future wife. While careers took them far away for a while, Alexandria remained home. Nowadays, he gets to share a little taste of happiness with his community through his cookies. Someday, he hopes to be able to share so much more.
Follow The Dapper Fox Bakery on Instagram @dapperfoxbakery.
