College is usually a time of exploration and self-discovery. Hence, most students spend those formative years figuring out the type of adults they want to be. But, for one student, college was the perfect place to see if a devilishly sweet idea could become a multi-million-dollar success. And guess what? It did, with the creation of Insomnia Cookies.
The origin story of this beloved cookie chain starts in a humbling place: A small college dorm room. Created by Seth Berkowitz in 2003 at the University of Pennsylvania, the idea for the business came to him thanks to the lack of late-night food options available to students at the time. The thought of having a sweet treat delivered to his door, whenever he was craving something delectable late at night, was enough to make Berkowitz join the late-night food market. After all, it was missing deliverable desserts.
In a CNBC interview, Berkowitz disclosed that he spent approximately $150 on baking supplies to start his cookie venture. And for the first few months of operation, he ran everything by himself and was responsible for baking the cookies and making late-night deliveries around campus while still attending classes and completing coursework. In the beginning, business was slow. But, things eventually picked up, he revealed in a Daily Pennsylvanian interview, when the very paper featured Insomnia on the front page over 20 years ago. This was the first time he saw exponential growth. His daily orders increased from three to 80, Berkowitz told CNBC, and he used that new revenue to hire employees and, most importantly, find a bigger kitchen to operate in. Once these changes were made, Insomnia Cookies unofficially made a place for itself in cookie history.
How did Insomnia Cookie become a success?
With the help of a business partner, Berkowitz was able to turn his college idea into a reality. In 2006, the first Insomnia Cookies location opened in Syracuse, New York. From there, the cookie empire was started. By 2012, more than 20 locations opened across the country. Then, in 2016, it opened its 100th location and released a delicious line of vegan cookies. This offering is one of the reasons why our team decided that when it comes to Crumbl vs Insomnia Cookies: The latter is the best dessert spot. Thanks to its popularity, it has over 200 locations now.
When it comes to cookie companies, none are as spellbinding as Insomnia Cookies. After all, it’s hard to compete with a business model that includes delivering warm, delicious cookies up until 3 a.m. (this is true for some, not all, locations). Hence, it was ranked the second-best cookie chain by the Tasting Table staff. Plus, it helps that Insomnia Cookies offers a plethora of classic and limited-edition cookies that are consistently scrumptious. Along with cookies, you can order brownies (delivered warm) and deluxe cookies (extra-large cookies). It even has a selection of ice cream flavors that can be used alongside its cookies to create a cookie’wich.
Since 2017, Insomnia Cookies has shipped its desserts nationwide. Now you can have a box of cookies or other sweet treats delivered to you. The delivery fee might vary depending on where you live. However, to keep your cookies as fresh as possible, orders will ship the same day as your request if you place an order before 3 p.m. on a weekday. Plus, your order won’t be shipped out during the weekends, so your sweets remain fresh. So, be patient while you wait for your order to come.
