From its early days as the product of a college student’s obsession with late night sweets to becoming one of the most successful bakery chains in the country, Insomnia Cookies has a truly unique story.
The company was founded by Seth Berkowitz in his University of Pennsylvania college dorm room in 2003. He realized that the only foods being delivered late at night were pizza and more savory items. His sweet tooth led him to the discovery that others felt the same way, so he started baking cookies in his dorm room and delivering them at all hours of the night.
Those late night hours and the delivery-centric business model have come to define Insomnia Cookies’ success. It differentiates the bakery from others, not just in that many businesses don’t deliver but also in that those who do it don’t do it nearly as well or as late.
“Product is our number one priority, but then also being able to deliver to someone’s door has really set us apart,” says Megan Bruton, the company’s Chief Marketing Officer.
Insomnia Cookies has experience rapid growth in recent years. Convenience has become key for consumers, and few foodservice establishments were as ahead of the curve as the New York-based company was. Now that customers are seeking delivery for more than just pizza, desserts are coming to the forefront of their minds.
Nationwide, Insomnia Cookies has 118 locations and more are in the pipeline. In fact, the company recently announced that it would expand its real estate search to all 48 states in the continental United States in order to further the brand’s continued focus on company-owned growth. It aims for areas with a large college or university presence or in dense urban markets with heavy nighttime and/or daytime traffic.
“We started small and we purposely grew within the East Coast area. That helped the brand name and helped us grow. As people graduated and moved to other areas of the country, their desire for the Insomnia Cookies that they know and love to come to them has helped that expansion as well,” Bruton says.
Open to 3 a.m. in most cases, the chain has become the go-to destination for night owls, as well as daytime visitors who seek a tasty treat or six. No matter the location, Insomnia Cookies looks to make its famous cookies, cookie cakes, and brownies an obsession for the entire country.