In business, the devil is in the details. So much so that if my wife hears me make that statement one more time, she’s going to kick me in the orbalnuberts. Isn’t this brilliant? Why didn’t I think of this?” over and over and over and over. John family fact that I have never visited that store, or received a delivery from Insomnia Cookies, that I haven’t exclaimed several times, “This is brilliant. I have been visiting the Insomnia Cookies in Starkville for a couple of years, and it is a well-known St. Actually they could name that particular cookie “dirt sandwich,” and I would still stuff a few in my mouth and wash them down with a glass of ice-cold milk. They could call it an “orbalnubert,” and I would eat it. It’s like someone took a handful of Scrabble letters and threw them out onto a table and let fate take its course. I don’t even know what the word "snickerdoodle" means, and I don’t care. It’s good, and you don’t even have to leave the house. It’s not too sweet it’s not too complicated. But there is something about the Insomnia Cookie snickerdoodle that reduces itself to cookie perfection. And it’s not a fancy, over-the-top creation. I might have even made a batch years ago. It’s not like the snickerdoodle cookie is a new invention. When eating at Insomnia Cookies you just need to know one word: snickerdoodle, or as I like to call them, the devil’s sinful sweet-toothed snack. Sure they carry most of the regular players - chocolate chip, oatmeal, something with white chocolate and/or nuts - but none of them matter. The cookies are another, and when I say “cookies” I mean the snickerdoodle. That, and a good product, has been the key to their success. The difference with Insomnia is that, if you’ll spend at least six bucks with them, they will deliver and they will deliver early into the morning hours. There have been other cookie franchises through the years, but most of them set up kiosks in shopping malls. It’s so perfect that the restaurant’s mission can be summed up into one simple, declarative and purposeful statement: “Warm cookies delivered until 3 a.m.” On a restaurateur’s concept dream list each category can be checked off. Waste is almost nonexistent and the margins are great. It takes about four employees to keep it running - more during peak times, fewer during slower periods. Equipment needs are minimal- an oven, freezer, display case, stand-up cooler, and a few warming drawers (I have made supplemental equipment orders after opening a restaurant that were larger than that). The menu is limited - a few varieties of cookies, eight ice cream flavors, milk and bottled water. In a career that has spanned almost 40 years, I have been fortunate enough at some of the most elegant fine dining restaurants on the planet, but when it comes to a “pure restaurant concept,” at least from a development standpoint, Insomnia Cookies is unmatched in its simplicity, single-mindedness and genius.Įach store occupies a small retail space of around 600 square feet. For 36 years I have eaten in - and been impressed by - some of the finest restaurants all across America and Europe. When I am out of town, I spend my time visiting and studying other concepts. I stepped into the store and was immediately impressed.Īs restaurant concepts go, Insomnia Cookies is pure brilliance. The tagline under the logo was brilliant, “Warm cookies delivered until 3 a.m.” I “got it,” immediately. While walking down the sidewalk I saw what I would later come to know as evil incarnate- Insomnia Cookies. We had finished eating at a restaurant in a small strip center just off of campus. I first met this particular devil two years ago while dropping my daughter off for her freshman year of college in Starkville. The devil has arrived, and his name is Insomnia Cookies. This devil doesn’t deal in overt temptation, but his allure every bit as enticing and seemingly sinful as an Old Testament smackdown. This evil doesn’t live in a fiery pit but dwells in a small retail space just off of the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. This devil is made of sugar and spice and has a cutesy name. He doesn’t go by an evil moniker such as Lucifer. This devil doesn’t have a red tail and horns. The devil has come to town, and he’s wearing a disguise.
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