It’s the season — no, not quite that season yet, it’s the Halloween season. This Halloween, introduce your taste buds to something different from what you are used to: Insomnia Cookies.
Insomnia Cookies is a national bakery chain that was established by Seth Berkowitz, selling late-night sweet treats to classmates during his matriculation period at the University of Pennsylvania.
Often, students would purchase sweet treats from him in his dorm room. In 2004, Berkowitz understood that the action of selling sweet treats to students late at night was incredibly profitable, as students who are up late at night are typically seeking something sweet to snack on while they’re committing to their studies. Since 2004, Insomnia Cookies’ chain has expanded and become widely known among Americans from different parts of the country, particularly the East Coast region.
Insomnia Cookies recently opened its first Lehigh Valley establishment in the South Side Bethlehem Arts District. The location is managed by Michael Cooley, General Manager. Cooley has served as the general manager since July 14th, and ever since, he has been energetic and optimistic about the establishment of the location within the Lehigh Valley region.
“[Insomnia Cookies is] fun, vibrant, up all night. It’s one of those places where you can be yourself,” Cooley said.
He further mentioned, “We call people who come here frequently insomniacs. Limited time offer cookies, right now we have a Pumpkin Chip Oreo, and then a Chai Latte. That’s what everyone is picking up right now. The cookies and cream, over a million cookies have been sold throughout our general locations.”
Cooley’s establishment does an extraordinary job of ensuring that his customers receive great quality customer service. As it was new to me, I decided to explore Insomnia Cookies for the first time. As I walked into the establishment, I immediately experienced a sensory overload for my senses. I saw cookies stacked perfectly, I smelled sweets from different ingredients, and I was professionally greeted by Cooley and one of his employees.
The establishment was well air-conditioned, and the interior of the restaurant was neat and put together, with music playing in the background. Additionally, the locality is a trendy and artsy location, as the chain is located in the South Side Arts District in Bethlehem. The chain is also incredibly clean, and the bathroom is properly sanitized along with the lobby table.
There were many options on the menu, but the item that was ushered to me was a S’mores Deluxe with cookies and cream, purple chocolate ice cream, with caramel on top of a classic chocolate chip ice cream. Rainbow sprinkles were also sprinkled on the top of the entirety of the ice cream and cookie, effectively causing the display of the sweet treat to look and taste extraordinary.
As the name suggests, Insomnia Cookies is an establishment that rarely sleeps. The establishment is recognized as a bakery that closes after midnight hours; the latest it closes is on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 3:00 a.m.
Based on the atmosphere, cleanliness, and guest accommodations, I give Insomnia Cookies an ‘A’ letter grade, and urge others to try it for themselves. Though the establishment is expensive, the cost associated with them is reasonable, as there are interesting components that make up the cookies, and social media content creation among influencers has increased consumer demand at the location.
We love people, and we love putting smiles on people’s faces. This is your family’s business; we don’t call you customers—we call you insomniacs,” Cooley said. Their address is 606 E 3rd St, Bethlehem, PA 18015.
