Spring Break
Cookies by Design transforms traditional gift giving
Amy McKewen
Issue date: 4/24/07 Section: Features
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However, when Gwen Willhite introduced the cookie bouquet in 1983, the two gifts formed a new tasty creation.
These edible bouquets consisted of custom-shaped, hand-decorated sugar cookies. They were placed on sticks and arranged in baskets to resemble a flower bouquet.
Manager Kristi Keith of the Cookies by Design shop in Normal said that this is a practical gift idea because real flowers are not edible and have to be thrown away when they begin to wilt.
"You can look at the cookies for a little and then you get to eat them," she said. "You can't do that with flowers."
Cookies by Design started out as a budding enterprise for Willhite but soon blossomed into something much more.
She moved her business, then called Cookie Bouquet, from her home kitchen to a new location in Tulsa, Okla. By1986, business was booming and Willhite opened another location in Dallas.
Two locations were not enough, though. Willhite received many requests from people who wanted to start their own franchise. The first franchised Cookie Bouquet shop opened the following year.
By 2004, Cookie Bouquet shops were becoming more and more popular. Only they were not called "Cookie Bouquet" anymore. The shops' names were changed to "Cookies by Design" to show the creativity and uniqueness they put into their products.
Cookies by Design is now a national franchise which has over 230 locations in 45 states. Normal is just one of the many locations. Keith, who has been working at the shop since it opened 12 years ago, said that business has been fairly steady.
"In the beginning it was great because of the economy, but ever since 9-11, it's not as good as it used to be. Business is still increasing it's just at a slower rate," she said.
People may be attracted to these cookie bouquets because they can serve as an edible greeting card. That is, Cookies by Design has cookie bouquets for most occasions or special events. In fact, a special bouquet was featured this week for administrative professionals week that read "For all you do, thank you."
Although they make baskets for smaller holidays, Cookies by Design also makes bouquets for birthdays and the arrival of new babies, which Keith said are the most popular.
They have baskets for anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Christmas and other big holidays celebrated across the nation. In addition, they have a wide array of cookies specifically designed for weddings.
Leah Schwebke, a senior interdisciplinary studies major, discovered Cookies by Design when she attended her friend's wedding. At the reception, each guest had a cookie on his or her plate that doubled as a place setting. The cookies were wrapped up and tied with a name tag. Schwebke said that the cookies made creative wedding favors.
"They were really delicious cookies," she said. "They looked hard, but when you bit into them they melted in your mouth."
The bride and groom even personalized the cookies by putting their initials on them. They also used colors that matched the colors of the wedding. The cookies were frosted with a solid layer of iridescent champagne-colored frosting and the bride and groom's initials were in blue.
"Some guests ate their cookies right away and others waited until later. The guests who ate their cookies right away told everyone to eat them because they were so amazing," Schwebke said.
She also added that since it was a rather small wedding, it was possible for each guest to get his or her own cookie.
One downfall of this unique gift idea is that with the creativity comes a higher price tag. Unlike processed cookies or candy, these sweets are handmade.
First the dough and icing are mixed. Then the cookies are baked and carefully decorated by hand.
"We make everything from scratch here and we use all fresh ingredients," Keith said.
Due to the intense labor put into creating the individual cookies, the prices may be higher than one would expect. Keith said her local prices do not reflect the prices found on the Cookies by Design Web site. The prices found on the Internet are the universal prices for the franchise.
"I price them at only 20 percent markup and that is what ingredients and labor cost me," she said.
If price is a factor, Keith said her shop offers some cheaper alternatives. Instead of getting a whole bouquet of cookies, individual cookies on a stick can be purchased for $5.75. She also has gourmet cookies for sale that can be purchased for $.99 for people who want to experience the taste of Cookies by Design.
Another service that is offered at the Normal location is mailing cookie cards. Keith explained this is a cheaper alternative to the cookie bouquets because it only costs $9 to send, as opposed to sending a whole basket.
"You put a cookie in a card and you can write your sentiment on the inside," she added.
Cookies by Design also offers a variety of cookies that are designed with childhood characters. They feature Disney cookies for new babies, birthdays, holidays, special events and others just to "brighten your day."
Other featured characters include Garfield and Curious George, cookies that may be popular for younger cookie eaters and cartoon lovers.
Since there are shops operating in more than 218 cities across the United States, the cookie bouquets are hand-delivered from the closest shop in most areas. This ensures the cookies stay as fresh as possible.
Keith said her shop also makes brownies and pan cookies, like other bakeries in town. However, she said there is one thing in particular that makes her shop unique.
"Nobody else in town does cookie bouquets."
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