The '70s Mall-Based Cookie Chain You Might Have Forgotten About

The classic American mall experience feels like a thing of the past. The humble food court was once a buzzing epicenter of the American shopping experience, and one particular cookie chain provided plenty of people with the sugar they needed to get through the day: The Original Cookie Company.

That's right, long before there was Crumbl or Insomnia Cookies, there was an aptly named spot called The Original Cookie Company. The Original Cookie Company was one of the top American cookie chains in the 1970s, and like its more modern counterparts, it was mainly located in malls. The stores sold five to six varieties of gourmet cookies at any one time, and they were also known for their giant 12-inch cookies.

Surprisingly, there isn't too much information available about how the business got its start, but we do know that the name was trademarked in 1976 and the stores were purchased by businessman Joseph Cole one year later. Cole had set up another cookie business, Cookie Place in Ohio, and was seeing great success in a number of other ventures. Under the leadership of his corporation, Cole National, The Original Cookie Company grew from having 24 stores to more than 90 in just five years.

Cole National was taken over in 1984 and all of The Original Cookie Company stores were later sold. In 1996, The Original Cookie Company was acquired by Capricorn Holdings, along with another famous chain: Mrs Field's Cookies. The concepts were combined to become Mrs Fields Original Cookie Company Inc, and The Original Cookie Company became just one of the mall food court restaurants that have quietly disappeared over the years.

Many people have shared fond memories of the stores online. One person said on Reddit, "I remember when these were a staple at malls." Another added, "they were my favorite." The M&M cookie was a must-have as were the fudge-filled cookie cups. People have even told their kids about the cookies and many have tried to recreate the offerings at home.

One Reddit user responding to a post looking for a similar sugar cookie recipe wrote, "I remember these from my childhood. It's the ONLY thing I want for Christmas!" Another wrote, "so I'm not the only one missing these cookies." If you want to bring back some of that magic smell, you could try making buttery sugar cookies at home -– but there really is nothing quite like a warm food court snack when the time is right.