In 1997, would-be entrepreneur Debi Fields opened her first store dedicated to the fine art of freshly baked cookies. Her brand, Mrs. Fields Cookies, subsequently became a staple in malls everywhere.
In addition to building a business based largely on the near-universal appeal of the chocolate chip, she also created the snack segment and opened the door to other mono-menus: Think pretzels, yogurt, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls and more.
The recent past has seen the emergence of a whole new crop of cookie creators addressing consumer demand for an affordable indulgence that Fields exploited so successfully. But the current competitors address the opportunity with a distinctly 21st-century vibe.
Next-gen flavors. While customers at virtually all these new-and-improved cookie chains can score basics like chocolate chip, there’s so much more on offer. Flavors have been borrowed from bagel and doughnut shops, bars and restaurants and cakes and confections.
Chip City stores in New York and New Jersey, for example, feature out-of-the-cookie-box options like Blueberry Cheesecake or Cannoli Cookies. For patrons with a hankering for a little savory with their sweets, the Everything Cookie is stuffed with cream cheese and topped with everything bagel seed mix. There’s also the new and totally trendy Hot Honey Cornbread Cookie made with fresh corn and popular Mike’s Hot Honey.
Insomnia Cookies focuses on sating late-night appetites and borrows flavors from the bar, like Limoncello, Pina Colada and Deluxe Filled Espresso Martini options; while Utah-based Chip Cookies turns back the clock to the pre-Covid craze for speculoos, the flat, crunchy, ginger-inflected biscuits popular in Belgium, the Netherlands and on some airline catering programs. Here, the imaginative, ooey-gooey Biscoff Chip Cookies combine the eponymous cookies and white chocolate chips and are stuffed with biscoff cookie butter.
Imagination of a different sort fuels the menu at Cookie Plug. Taking its inspiration from graffiti, street art and hip-hop culture, the website helpfully reassures that its products are “100% kid friendly, no THC, CBD, cannabis.”
There is, however, a lot of wink-winking going on, as the menu boasts “everyday hook ups” like Chocolate XTC and Pixie Junkie Sugar Cookies. And there’s more double entendre-ing with daily promotions like “Stack Em Up Sunday: Buy 4 phatties and a drank (sic), get three phatties free.”
Taking a distinctly more sophisticated approach is The Good Batch, a Brooklyn independent that bakes up Chai Pumpkin Snickerdoodle and Tahini Chocolate Chunk among other exotic offerings. And Crumbl Cookies creates varieties like Maple Bacon and Pink Doughnut that are borrowed from the breakfast menu and underscore the familiar-with-a-twist approach that typifies menu R&D in the segment.
The Biscoff Chip Cookie from Chip Cookies. / Photo courtesy of Chip Cookies.
Next-gen sensibility. Thoroughly modern cookie meisters are stepping up to address patron dietary concerns. There are vegan and gluten-free options at Insomnia, where a plant-based Chocolate Chip is made with coconut oil; and Cookie Plug offers three Keto-friendly options.
Cookies at Levain, which is expanding off its base in New York City, were developed specifically to fortify the co-founders as they compete in triathlons. Their signature is the substantial, six-ounce Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie, which is available in a gluten-free, vegan version made with cashew butter.
Next-gen convenience. These days, when patrons can’t come to the cookies, the chances are very good that the cookies will come to them. Insomnia Cookies was founded near the University of Pennsylvania campus to deliver cookies directly to hangry students, and delivery remains its primary calling card.
Chip Cookies among others takes an omnichannel approach; the company delivers locally and ships nationwide. In addition, it offers pick up, home delivery and catering.
Next-gen business model. It’s worth noting that some of these players have received substantial financial backing from industry powerhouses. Chip City was the recipient of a major cash infusion from fine-dining legend Danny Meyer, and in 2018, Krispy Kreme bought a majority stake in Insomnia Cookies, which may help the brand reach its ambitious goal of delivering warm cookies to 95% of US households.
Few of these operators put all of their cookies in one jar. Insomnia, for example, also makes cakes and ice-cream sandwiches, while Levain and The Good Batch have broader lines of baked goods. The latter also sells its branded ice-cream cookies in the freezer case at Whole Foods.
Crumbl and Cookie Plug among others have jumped on the merch bandwagon, the former with some cute tees and accessories, the later with decidedly edgier tees and stickers.
In a unique co-branding initiative, Tiff’s Treats Cookie Delivery delivers not only fun flavors like the Tiramisu Cookie, but also jewelry by Kendra Scott, so customers can get their baked-to-order, delivered-warm cookies along with some tasteful bling at the very same time.
Next-gen outlook. American consumers have been slapped around by continuous waves of bad news, from the pandemic to inflation to international warfare to constant threats of recession to bank failures and catastrophic weather events. No wonder they’re waiting in line to shell out five bucks for a spot of sweetness.
But students of restaurant-industry history know that the rapid proliferation of stores occurring in this segment will inevitably be followed by segment consolidation and unit rationalization. In other words, a number of these upstarts will fail, especially those that are lacking in sufficient capital and/or savvy management.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on competition from outside the segment. The barriers to entry may be lower than anticipated. As an example, campus foodservice operators, who are known for their ability to jump on a trend, have the advantage of being right on campus and are experimenting with new delivery technology to service student housing at all hours.
Then there are formidable convenience-store competitors like WaWa, which has an app and offers both pickup and delivery from its Fresh First menu. And Edible, the company built on arrangements of fruit, has substantially expanded its product line with items like fresh-baked cookies. The brand covers a staggering 99.8% of all US zip codes, according to a company spokeswoman; what’s more, it owns its own fleet and promises same-day delivery.
First-gen update. By the way, Mrs. Fields, the chain that started it all, is still making cookies. In fact, the website lists 250 locations here and abroad, where the product line has been substantially rejiggered to include gift baskets for all occasions.
And despite competition from a whole class of contemporary cookie-making upstarts, the brand still has equity. Last fall, full-service Acapulco Restaurant y Cantina launched the Mrs. Fields Sizzling Cookie dessert special, in which a Mrs. Fields M&M Cookie or Chocolate Chip Cookie was served in a sizzling skillet with a side of ice cream and chocolate sauce.
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