Butterboy, a cookie bakehouse on the Corso

What began as a university-side hobby grew into a brand that sold more than half a million cookies, with the Manly Corso flagship at its centre.

From a home kitchen to a Corso staple

James Sideris started Butterboy while he was at university, baking cookies and muffins from his home kitchen. His fun and cheeky branding, paired with creative flavours, built a loyal following. Before opening the Manly flagship, customers had already bought more than half a million of his cookies.

The Manly flagship

The Manly store sits on the Corso at Shop 9/74-78. The fit-out was designed by George Livissianis, whose work includes The Apollo and Cafe Paci. The space is modern, with purple accents, plenty of terrazzo, and the trademark Butterboy logo on display.

Large windows look down from the footpath to the kitchen, where bakers mix, roll and bake the chunky cookies on-site. Sideris wanted the space to feel fun and theatrical, like a cookie lab where customers can see what is happening behind the scenes.

The cookies are baked fresh throughout the day, coming out crisp on the outside and soft in the centre. The counter carries classic flavours alongside rotating limited-edition creations that change seasonally. Customers can also take home cookie dough to bake at home.

Beyond cookies

Butterboy expanded beyond cookies into soft serve, with a range of rotating flavours whirling from a neon-lit machine. There are flavoured milks, including dairy-free and vegan versions. Sideris reworked the cookie recipes to be vegan, so the broader menu caters to different dietary requirements.

Growing beyond Manly

Butterboy expanded to Chatswood before opening a third location at Broadway Sydney. The Broadway store trades the coastal look of the Manly space for something more future-focused, with stainless steel and chrome finishes drawing inspiration from science labs.

Sideris is also the co-owner of Rollers Bakehouse and Norma's Deli in Manly, building a small portfolio of food brands around the Northern Beaches. What began as a side project during commerce studies became a dessert destination that sold half a million cookies before ever opening a physical store.