Thursday, October 1, 2026
For Sea Cliff resident Bill Kocis, baking has always been a family affair. He began his cookie business roughly six years ago and brought it to Sea Cliff when he moved to the village a year and a half ago.
Kocis’ business, Sugar Daddy Baker, sells cookies six ounces or larger. Many of the flavor combinations may not be found in the mainstream. Kocis said that coming from an Italian background, his interest in baking began as a “family thing.”
“My grandmother was an awesome baker, and my mom is a really good baker,” he added. “Some of her recipes have trickled down and sort of became a part of my business now.”
Kocis grew up outside New York, in places like Burlington, Vermont and Greenwich, Connecticut. He has lived in New York City and on Long Island. He and his daughter, Maddie, moved to Roslyn after the Covid-19 pandemic. After renting in Sea Cliff, a house on the same street went up for sale, and Kocis bought it.
Sugar Daddy Baker takes online orders and operates as a farm stand-style booth on Sundays. The business is registered and licensed with the New York State Department of Agriculture.
“My daughter hates the name,” Kocis joked.
The business was rebranded roughly a year ago, taking on its current name because Kocis is a single dad who loves to bake.
“My daughter calls me Papa,” he said. “But I couldn’t call it Sugar Papa, so the whole thing just became a play on words.”
Kocis bakes cookies while wearing a suit, something he considers a unique and special part of his brand. Coming home from work in New York City, he immediately puts on his apron and gets to work in the kitchen. He started by just baking for his daughter after work.
“And then her friends’ parents were like, ‘What’s that cookie? What’s that cookie?’” Kocis said. “So, it became this whole thing.”
It all began with what is now known as the “Big as your head” chocolate walnut chunk cookie, which Kocis refers to as the “launching pad.” Kocis explained that the chocolate walnut cookie is a combination of a crispy edge and gooey center, making it “the best of both worlds.”
Kocis said there is a lot of experimentation involved with introducing new cookie flavors. Sugar Daddy Baker offers a peanut butter, pickle and pretzel cookie. Kocis joked that the pickle will not have customers saying, “what the hell is that?”
“It’s a little after note, but it’s definitely there,” he said, “and it just adds the nice salty kind of umami situation, and it pairs really well with peanut butter.”
Working in real estate in a corporate setting, Kocis described getting to bake once he gets home as “such a relief.”
He added that so far, community feedback in Sea Cliff has been positive, and he has gained loyal customers.
“It honestly brings me so much joy,” he said. “I’m very grateful for what I get to do. People really have enjoyed the product and the whole story behind it.”
Kocis sources his ingredients locally, from businesses within New York State. He said that this is important to him because it helps other local businesses.
“It’s a through line for me,” Kocis said. “What I put into things personally, kind of comes out in the product.”
He added that his goal is to bring his “made-with-love” cookies to the community and offer a spot in Sea Cliff for people to stop by and visit the village.
Kocis described himself as an “artistic soul.” With an acting background, he has been on Broadway and “Law & Order.” He appeared on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” several times between 2002 and 2024.
“I’ve had a varied career, let’s put it that way,” he said. “It’s not been boring. So, this all makes sense. Me landing in Sea Cliff, and then this fun little Sugar Daddy Baker pop-up, and it’s just all been great.”
