Baked! Bloomington
Baked! of Bloomington, a local cookie business was founded in 2006 by Jared Schneider. Schneider was tired of slow delivery service and wanted a place in Bloomington to satisfy a sweet tooth any time of the day. The business took off and Bloomington residents were ordering cookies nonstop. Baked! later partnered with Pizza X, another restaurant unique to Indiana University's campus, and the two prospered in adjoining buildings. Baked! is known for its long-ranging delivery hours, 9 am-4 am, seven days a week. It is also loved for its variety of flavors. Customers can create almost any kind of cookie they want with a variety of doughs, chips, goodies, candy, fruits, nuts, frostings, and drizzles. However, the chocolate chip, still unique to Schneider's mom's recipe, is most well known. Customers also have the opportunity to choose how well they would like the cookie to be cooked, crispy or gooey. It has been a fan favorite for students, locals, and visitors. The cookies are fairly cheap and they also offer gluten-free and vegan options.
Insomnia Cookies
Students and locals were excited to see that Insomnia Cookies would be opening on Bloomington's main street, Kirkwood, at the start of the second semester. It finally opened its doors on March 1, 2021. Insomnia Cookies is a well-known dessert franchise, loved by college students across the globe. Proven by its name, Insomnia delivers from 12/1 PM- 1/3 AM depending on the day of the week. While this is another flexible delivery schedule, it is less extensive than Baked's. However, Insomnia also has national brand recognition to its advantage. Their uniquely decorated storefront, well-known logos, and aesthetic packaging is something that small businesses such as Baked! often lack. Additionally, the location of the storefront has a crucial advantage, as it generates much more publicity and can be a tempting stop for students on the way home from bars and other restaurants. They also have a wide variety of flavors to choose from, as well as gluten-free and vegan cookies. Insomnia prides itself on its deals of the week and they also offer a CookieMagic Membership where members can get one free cookie per day, 20% off, free delivery, and other special discounts.
Which is Better?
With Insomnia's grand opening, many wondered what business would win over the most hearts and stomachs. The store has been filled with curious townies waiting to experience the bite of a new brand of cookie in Bloomington.
According to an upperclassman at Indiana University, her order of cookies, cookie butter, and frosting was deemed "mediocre" and "very bland". She reported that Baked! is cheaper, better, and overall the way to go.
However, according to a freshman student at Indiana University, "Insomnia Cookies are so much better. They were less greasy than Baked!, had a better texture, and reminded me of my grandma's chocolate chip cookies."
Others observe that Insomnia's delivery time is much more efficient than Baked!. It usually takes around thirty minutes to receive a delivery from Insomnia, while Baked's popularity can cause their orders to take up to two hours.
Do older students prefer Baked! because they have been in Bloomington longer and are biased towards their roots? Or are Insomnia Cookies genuinely better? You will have to try both and be the judge for yourself.