COLONY — What began as a sleepless night has turned into a sweet reality for Noah and Heidi Gordon. Along with their seven children, the Gordons are bringing some flavor to downtown Colony with their new business, Speak Cookies & Subs.
Located at 210 E. Broad St., the cafe opened April 5. The story behind the shop is more than just one of cookies and sandwiches, though — it’s one of faith and following a calling.
THE GORDONS moved to Colony about nine years ago after living in Cleveland, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City.
“We were looking to get a little farther away from the city,” he said, noting his wife’s grandfather had lived in Kincaid.
From extended family and work, the idea of living in Colony grew on Gordon.
“We love it here,” he said.
Until recently, Gordon, age 37, was a sales representative for a hardwood flooring company, frequently traversing southeast Kansas and Oklahoma.
But a sleepless night last July changed everything.
“I woke up in the middle of the night with this idea of a deep-dish cookie. There’s another company that does it and I was really intrigued. I felt like we could do it better — make it more artisan. I couldn’t get back to sleep.”
Inspired by this late-night idea and a scripture passage, Gordon said he knew exactly what he would name such a business.
“I decided if I was going to do this, I was going to name it after 1 Samuel 3:10. It’s where God wakes Samuel up in the middle of the night and Samuel replies, ‘Speak Lord, I’m listening.’”
Perhaps most surprising was that Gordon had no prior passion for baking.
“That’s why I thought it was so odd. Waking up in the middle of the night was weird enough because I’ve always slept very soundly,” he said. “I told my wife the next day and she asked, ‘Really? Cookies?’”
From there, the couple began exploring the idea of a cookie business, starting with a food truck last August that they took to festivals and community events, offering deep-dish cookies in six rotating flavors.
The classic chocolate chip has been their top seller.
The term “deep-dish” comes from them baking the cookies in a pan with high sides, resulting in a thick, soft, gooey cookie with a crispy edge.
“We’ve got some others like salted chocolate pecan and a lemon creme that have been really good sellers for us,” Gordon said. They also cater to dietary restrictions with a gluten-free, dairy-free no-bake cookie topped with peanut butter icing.
