Christopher Joseph and Christopher Jeremy Barbara, owners of Dos Chris’s Bakery & Charcuterie Co., are determined to spread sparkle, delicious food and kindness through their community (photo by Darryl Webb, special for North Central News).
A conversation with the owners of Dos Chris’ Bakery & Charcuterie Co. can be a bit confusing. Both the owners are named Christopher. Both have middle initials J. And they’re so in-synch that they complete each other’s sentences.
There’s Christopher Jeremy Barbara, a fourth-generation North Phoenician with family roots in the textile business, and his husband, Christopher Joseph Barbara, who grew up in Tucson, where his family owned three restaurants and where, with his mom, he nurtured his love for baking.
Operating from a tiny storefront at the hot culinary intersection of 16th Street and Bethany Home Road, they’re determined to spread sparkle, delicious food and kindness through their community.
Before COVID-19, Chris Jeremy worked in the corporate world, and Chris Joseph was a flight attendant. When the pandemic hit, both men found themselves at home with a lot of time on their hands. Like a lot of people, they turned to cooking.
“I grew up in the culinary arts, tasting different flavors and textures,” Chris Joseph said. “I love to go into the cupboards and pick out random ingredients and create a dish.”
One creation was a killer chocolate chip cookie, hefty at 5 ounces, with a crispy edge and pillowy center.
“Our mailman, who has become one of our dearest friends, started spreading our cookies around, and our business grew from there,” Chris Joseph said. “It was all word of mouth – literally! Social media also really helped get the word out.”
The couple first cooked from a small commissary kitchen, selling their bakery and charcuterie items at the Uptown Farmers Market, but summer heat soon drove them to a brick-and-mortar location.
Dos Chris’ baked goods include the Chocolate Potato Chip, Sea Salt Coconut Oatmeal and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies (photo by Darryl Webb, special for North Central News).
“We got married on 10/10/2020, and we and started our company three months later,” Chris Joseph said. “We signed the lease on this storefront a year later.”
“It’s not by happenstance that this place found us,” Chris Jeremy said. “My family has lived in this neighborhood since the 1950s. It’s a little bit of destiny that we’re here.”
Customer favorites from the bakery counter include the Ding Dong chocolate cupcake filled with vanilla cream, topped with chocolate buttercream, dipped in chocolate ganache and decorated with a swirl of vanilla buttercream. Strawberries ‘N’ Crème features a strawberry cupcake topped with strawberry buttercream, fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
And then there’s the “Dos chReese’s Cupcake.”
“People come from across the country for that one,” Chris Joseph said. It’s a peanut butter cupcake filled with peanut butter sauce, topped with whipped peanut butter buttercream, and dipped in chocolate ganache with a peanut butter drizzle on top.
Divine decadence, sprinkled with edible glitter, of course.
That original chocolate chip cookie still is the best-seller. Sea salt oatmeal coconut is another favorite.
Customers also drop by for bruschetta bites and grab-and-go charcuterie boxes.
“The bruschettas are made to order, and people love them,” Chris Joseph said. “We call them ‘Dos Bites’ because each one is two bites.”
For catering, they arrange fanciful free-form swirls and geometric patterns of meats, cheeses fruits and vegetables in colorful presentations that look like works of modern art.
“Chris and I get a lot of inspiration from the objects around us,” Chris Jeremy said. “We may have a design in mind, but when we get there, we just start, so it fits the vibe of the room.”
The pair bring in black butcher paper to cover a client’s table or counter, then arrange meats, cheeses, fruit, vegetables along with crackers, breads, spreads, jam, herbs, mixed nuts, olives and their signature Bruschetta Bites. Combinations include the caprese, with tomato, mozzarella, basil and balsamic glaze; artichoke spread with fire-roasted tomatoes and manchego cheese; and goat cheese, apricot preserves and pistachios.
Cupcake flavors at Dos Chris’ include (starting top left and moving clockwise) Ding Dong, Gluten-free salted caramel macchiato, Pumpkin chia, Dos chReese’s, and (center) Strawberries ‘n’ crème (photo by Darryl Webb, special for North Central News).
The Charsweeterie Catering packages are artful arrays of bakery items including mini cupcakes along with tartlets, cannolis, brownie bites and cookies. Any bare spots are filled in with candies.
The two Chrises do the set-up, then depart. At the end of the event, clients simply pack up any leftovers, then roll up the butcher paper and toss it.
“We used to do the tiers, vases and other serving items, then come back hours later to pick it all up,” Chris Jeremy said. “This concept lets us fit in more than one catering in a day.
While their sales have grown, the men are determined to keep their original focus front and center, Chris Joseph said. “We really set out to have a safe space for everybody. We wanted to create a place where you can feel like you’re at home, like you’re a part of something in the community. Our whole goal is to always have a safe space where you can just be you, enjoy yourself, enjoy how you’re treated.
“Our slogan is ‘Leave a little sparkle wherever you go,’ and that sparkle is kindness. That’s the message we want to spread. Our message is first, be kind to yourself. Eat the cupcake!”
Community outreach is a priority. “We’re still new so we’re doing different things,” Chris Jeremy said. “With our ‘Million Dollar Teacher’ project, teachers can come and get a discount on our products. When we have extra cupcakes or charcuterie, we’ll drop them off at the fire station or school for the teachers. They’re so important to us.”
“Arizona is near and dear to our hearts. We’ve been here generations, and we want people to know we are a community place. We’re here to engage.”
Dos Chris’ Bakery & Charcuterie Co., at 6007 N. 16th St., is open from noon to 9 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday. For information, call 602-837-8899 or visit www.doschrisaz.com.
