Marissa began her food journey as a food blogger, with heavy emphasis on savory recipes. It was during a trip to New York with her husband, Jeff, that they tried cookies at famous NYC bakeries, and Marissa’s pursuit of the perfect cookie began.
“[When] we came back home, I just... couldn’t get cookies off my mind,” Marissa said.
She began sending cookies to work with her husband, who played in the NFL. When she began receiving positive feedback and paid orders for cookies, the couple recognized the potential viability for a cookie business.
“She's an excellent cook, baker, everything. I knew if I challenged her, she would go home and recreate it. ... She went home, and she blew it away,” Jeff said.
They began with online orders before opening their first location in Frisco in April 2020, only one month after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. They initially offered curbside pickup and shipping, a choice that set them up for success as their online demand surged.
“We kind of went about it in an opposite way, because most people have the brick and mortar, and then they go online. ... We started online, perfected packaging, shipping, freshness and then came in store,” Marissa said.
Jeff said the “patient, kind and fully supportive” community members who waited in the parking lot to try their cookies helped them survive the pandemic. The demand often resulted in the store selling out, prompting them to scale up their production. Their Frisco team now boasts 14 employees.
Marissa continues to experiment with cookie flavors and new items, bringing customers back each month to try the new creations. Cookie Society staple flavors, such as chocolate chip, sugar and banana pudding, can be found all year-round. Rotating monthly flavors, such as strawberry poptart, cinnamon roll or cookie butter are also available. Marissa says she has concocted more than 100 flavors.
Marissa said she favors the pecan pie and apple pie seasonal flavors, while Jeff can often be found with a banana pudding or peanut butter and jelly cookie. Their two children both love the sugar cookies with crunchy sprinkles.
They also offer a variety of limited goodies, including cinnamon rolls, brownies, lemon bars and oatmeal cream pies. Customers can also grab a Cookie Society T-shirt or candle in store or online. Their candles, made through a collaboration with Olphactory Candles, smell like “just like the bakery in the morning” and are popular holiday gifts, Marissa said.
Earlier this year, the couple answered the call of customers to the south by opening the second Cookie Society location in Addison. The seven-person team in Addison continues the Allens' mission to deliver classic cookies with a twist to the local community and beyond.
“I think there's a lot more places serving cookies now, which is really cool. So, it's like, how can we be memorable? How can we show up in your community in a memorable way,” Marissa said.
Customers' reactions and return visits are some of the couple’s favorite moments, Marissa said. She especially enjoys when customers bring in a friend who has not tried Cookie Society, she said.
“That just makes me really happy that you trust us enough to bring them back in, regardless of what's on our menu,” she said.
Cookie Society
9320 Dallas Parkway, Ste. 160, Frisco
214-618-0651
https://cookiesociety.com
Hours: Sun. noon-5 p.m., Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Mon.
