Inspiring Conversations with Christina “Tina” Karras of Dolce by Tina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina “Tina” Karras.

Hi Christina “Tina”, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A couple of years ago, I was in a completely different place. I had just finished my MBA, just gotten married, and just moved to a new city. On paper, everything was moving forward. But honestly, I felt stuck. I didn’t know what was next. And in the middle of all that uncertainty, the thing I kept going back to was baking.

I grew up with the smell of sugar and buttercream. My mom decorated cakes, and I was always right there with her, mixing something, sneaking a taste. She taught me that baking wasn’t really about the recipe. It was about making someone feel cared for. That stayed with me my whole life, but I’d never done anything with it.

So there I was, newly married, in a new city, in my apartment, making cookies at night just to feel like myself again. I started sharing them with friends, and the reactions surprised me. People weren’t just being polite. They were telling me these cookies made them feel special. Not good. Special. I kept hearing that word.

Then came a Christmas party. They had a cookie competition, and I brought this pistachio kunafa chocolate chip cookie I’d been obsessing over. It won. And something clicked. I stood there thinking, what if this isn’t a hobby? What if this is actually it?

After that night, something shifted. For the first time, baking felt like something I was supposed to do.

What started as late-night recipe testing in my apartment den became Dolce by Tina.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not even close. And I don’t think people realize how scrappy it really is in the beginning.

I remember I was in Long Beach when my phone rang. A customer was downstairs waiting for their order. My heart dropped. What order? When did this come in? How did I miss this? Long Beach is thirty minutes from home. The oven still has to turn on. The cookies still have to bake. I’m doing the math in my head and realizing this person is not getting their order for at least an hour. You figure it out because you have to, but nobody prepares you for that feeling.

Building this meant wearing every hat at once. Recipe development, packaging, marketing, customer service—I was all of it. There were days I’d be testing a new flavor at six in the morning and redesigning packaging at midnight. I’ve cried over a batch of cookies before. My husband has eaten more failed test cookies than any human should have to.

What surprised me most was how much building something from nothing teaches you. Every decision, every mistake, every late night adds up. You keep figuring it out, and somewhere along the way, you surprise yourself.

The hardest part is how personal it feels when your name is on the box. Every time I’ve been tempted to cut a corner or chase something that didn’t feel right, I come back to the same thing. Use the best ingredients. Be honest with people. Make cookies that taste homemade because they actually are.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Dolce by Tina is a home-crafted gourmet cookie shop, born in a small Irvine apartment kitchen, built with the mission to slow down and create meaning in ordinary moments.

What began as a personal escape for me has evolved into a way to bond with communities through comforting, handcrafted treats. Today, Dolce by Tina stands as a modern tribute to comfort and craft. Whether shared, gifted, or for an event, each cookie is designed to make every occasion feel comforting and elegant. The entire brand experience feels like one thing all the way through. The flavors, the packaging, the photography, the way we talk to people. Every detail comes from the same place, and I wanted all of it to feel like someone genuinely cares – because I do.

But what I really want people to know is what this has turned into. I started this alone in my apartment den with a mixing bowl and a lot of late nights. And now I have people stopping by right before their flights to pick up boxes of cookies because they want to bring them home to their families across the country. When I see that, I have to pause. Because that’s my mom’s kitchen. That’s the feeling she gave me. That when something is made with real love, people want to share it.

Every cookie that leaves my kitchen has a piece of that in it. My mom’s love of baking. My own belief is that the best things are made with care and attention. Dolce by Tina isn’t trying to compete with mass production. It’s about craftsmanship. About putting something thoughtful into a world that doesn’t slow down enough for it.

Whether you’re ordering for yourself, gifting to a client, or bringing something to a dinner party, you’re getting something that was genuinely made for you. Because something sweet should never feel ordinary.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
No!

Pricing:

• Box of 4: $27
• Box of 6: $40
• Box of 12 (3-oz): $55
• Box of 12 (6-oz): $80
• Gift Cards: https://order.toasttab.com/egiftcards/dolcebytina

Contact Info:

• Website: https://DolcebyTina.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dolcebytina
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Dolce-by-Tina-61574830568951/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-hanna/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dolce-by-tina-irvine
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dolcebytina