2004 College graduate and Insomnia Cookies CEO Seth Berkowitz reflected on the founding of his cookie business as a college student in a written interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Insomnia Cookies is a nationwide bakery chain that sells cookies and other sweet items, and currently has a location in Penn's Houston Hall. Berkowitz first conceptualized the store in 2003 alongside Jared Barnett, another 2004 College graduate, in Berkowitz's dorm room at the time.
Berkowitz, as a student that spent late nights playing video games with his friends, told the DP that he found his late-night gaming habits quickly turning into late-night cravings.
“Pizza and other go-to options were not as comforting as warm, delicious cookies and I struggled with the idea of bracing the northeast winter to go out and buy them,” he wrote to the DP.
His own void for options led to him formulating the idea of a “late-night, warm cookie delivery system.” After a $150 investment in baking ingredients, he spent his sophomore summer working to perfect recipes for classic cookies and brownies.
Once back on campus, Berkowitz dedicated his free time to delivering Insomnia Cookies from his off-campus apartment and curating the company’s website. He offered his classmates customizable and classic cookies, including Chocolate Chunk, Mint Chocolate, and M&M flavors.
When describing his initial success, Berkowitz wrote that “after [he] established the Insomnia Cookies website and received a front-page feature from the Daily Pennsylvanian the business took off [and] the rest is history.”
“Receiving such positive feedback, which led to my first feature in The Daily Pennsylvanian, was a milestone I will never forget,” he wrote.
Insomnia Cookies today has over 295 stores nationwide, and Berkowitz said that the chain hopes to continue growing to 1,800 stores in the next decade. However, Berkowitz believes that the growth of the company is “rooted in the essence of [the] brand” that he conceptualized as a young college student: “delivering warm, delicious cookies late into the night.”
Earlier this year, Insomnia Cookies saw a series of changes to increase the productivity and efficiency of the company, Berkowitz wrote. The company debuted its new global headquarters, implemented a four-day work week, and launched a new rewards system.
Berkowitz said that, as the company continues to evolve, he remains committed to the values the brand is rooted in from two decades ago.
“These defining values continue to inspire us today, fueling our innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the late-night bakery experience," he wrote. "A rapidly expanding bakery, we’re constantly looking for new store locations to grow our community and satisfy the cravings of as many Insomniacs as we can across the country.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate