Located on South University Avenue between Church Street and South Forest Avenue, Insomnia Cookies packs a big punch into its quaint storefront. The first time I visited Insomnia was after my freshman year move-in. My family, like most, loves all things sweet including, of course, cookies. We were pleasantly surprised by the array of flavors the store had to offer and bought a six pack of cookies and some buttercream frosting.
The national chain was founded in 2003 by Seth Berkowitz, a University of Pennsylvania alum desperate for a late-night treat. Since then, the store has expanded to over 200 locations across the country, providing college students a way to get their cookie fix, even at 2 a.m.. Ann Arbor students have bought into Berkowitz’s business model, flocking to the storefront in the middle of the night when their studying is disrupted by an intense craving for a sweet treat.
Since I was young, I have always had a warm cookie cake as my birthday cake. This tradition came from a combination of a love for my grandmother’s blondies and a distaste for anything cold. My birthday falls just at the beginning of the school year. To account for this, my parents have sent me a cookie cake from Insomnia for my birthday both years I have been enrolled at the University of Michigan. The joy of seeing the text from Insomnia saying “(my dad) sent you something sweet,” is irreplaceable.
Even when it’s not my birthday, I’ll stop in the store when I am on that side of town to grab a quick treat every now and then including my all time favorite confetti cookie. Insomnia cookies also reheat well, so I recommend buying more than you think you’ll need because you never know when you’ll get a late-night crave for Insomnia.
Daily Staff Reporter Matthew Shanbom can be reached at shanbom@umich.edu.