Otis Spunkmeyer has been placing ovens in restaurants and other spots for more than 40 years, and the program is still going strong. The ovens are free for customers who buy Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough.

“I look back at the legacy of Otis, and what’s fascinating to me and what I love about it is it was the pioneer of fresh-baked cookies,” said Beau Netzer, president of foodservice for Aspire Bakeries. “It’s all about fresh baked. And it all started brilliantly when we created the Otis Spunkmeyer oven that we still offer today.”

He explained that committing to baking desserts is a significant step operationally for not only restaurants but certainly other venues. The Otis Spunkmeyer oven can help anyone get in the fresh-baked cookie business.

“We’re placing ovens at an incredible rate right now,” Netzer said, noting that thousands of ovens are placed into businesses every year.

The small tabletop units that are about the size of a toaster oven have gone into hotels, banks, chain restaurants, airport lounges, nursing homes and more.

Tammy Wong, director of R&D/commercialization, joked they are about as simple to use as a child’s Easy-Bake Oven because the temperature is pre-set, which means users only need to worry about the time they bake, which depends on the size of the cookie.

“You just switch it on for 30 minutes [to warm up], and it actually fits three trays, which we provide, parchment paper and everything,” Wong said. “You can make up to three dozen cookies, depending on the size, and capitalize on the No. 1 reason consumers buy cookies away from home: fresh baked.”