A local bakery added an outdoor cookie vending machine patrons can use round the clock.
Allison “Ali” Nash, owner of The Good Cookie Sweet Shop, at 1163 E. Fulton St. in Grand Rapids, on Saturday, Nov. 6, debuted a 24-hour cookie vending machine primarily for customers to use who can’t visit the shop to get their cookie fix during regular business hours.
The vending machine is at the back of the shop, adjacent to the parking lot and next to the bakery’s Cookie Camper.
Cookies in the vending machine are $3 apiece. Availability will vary, but it will almost always have in stock the Original Chocolate Chip, The Tookie (M&Ms and sprinkles), Lemon with a Glaze on Top and Peanut Butter Chocolate.
As with all the cookies sold inside the shop, a portion of every cookie purchase from the vending machine will go to support The Good Cookie’s monthly charity partners in the community.
The idea for the 24-hour cookie vending machine originated when Nash was a guest on the Passion to Profit Podcast with Vincent McIntosh, owner of Irie Kitchen in Grand Rapids, and Liz Della Croce, founder of the food blog The Lemon Bowl, who together founded the food trends and technology business Irie Lemon.
“We were discussing the challenges of finding shop hours to suit our customers’ needs, and Vince came up with this amazing idea for a vending machine,” Nash said. “We took it and ran forward.”
The Good Cookie is a neighborhood bakery that offers fresh treats in small batches, including cookies, cookie cakes, semifreddo frozen dessert, chocolates, coffee and liege waffles.
The shop also sells gifts, such as baking and cook books, cards, T-shirts, candles, aprons and kitchen items.
A large portion of its business is done through catering weddings, birthday parties and corporate events.
“We deliver, set up and design cookie bars, as well as cater from our Cookie Camper, a 1961 redone vintage trailer all ready to travel to any event,” Nash said.
More information about the bakery is at thegoodcookiegr.com.
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