When Seth Berkowitz baked up a batch of cookies for his roommates one late evening as a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, he only thought he was creating a sweeter late-night alternative to pizza for his friends.
Now four years and 13 stores later, Insomnia Cookies is rolling out on college campuses across the country, including a new location at Ohio State, thanks to one late night of baking and talking.
“It’s funny, we were all sitting around thinking of business ideas,” Berkowitz said. “I thought, ‘what if I delivered cookies to students late at night?'”
That idea offered another late-night craving that is sweeter than chicken fingers or pizza, but still just as sinful.
Berkowitz started the first Insomnia Cookies at UPenn to much success. But he said he did have his doubts, especially since he was a one-man company for awhile, both cooking and delivering to students out of residence hall kitchens.
“I wasn’t sure how the store would do,” Berkowitz said. “After my first semester I thought maybe it could become a big success.”
Elise Piatkowski, marketing director for Insomnia Cookies, said she thinks the franchise owes its success to its concept.
“Cookies are a different late-night snack from the usual campus staples of pizza or wings,” she said.
Piatkowski said the cookies are baked to order and usually arrive between 30 minutes to an hour, similar to pizza.
Jonathan Gardner, general manager of the OSU location said the business, although new, has gotten a great deal of traffic and agrees with Piatkowski in that its uniqueness is the driving force behind its success.
“The company has a great chance. It’s a great concept, and a lot of students like that,” Gardner said, adding that the location now accepts BuckID.
Insomnia Cookies is located on 1878 N. High St. and is open daily from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. Delivery hours are 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
Gerrick Lewis can be reached at [email protected].
