If deliciously decadent cookies are served up with a side of small-town warmth, the brand is destined to be discovered. That is just what happened to Schmackary’s, the cookie shop nestled in the heart of New York City’s theater district.
“It was the most iconic cookie concept I’d ever seen,” said Dan Rowe, founder and CEO of Fransmart (the franchise management company responsible for launching Qdoba, Five Guys and The Halal Guys). “Their cookies are super indulgent, big, bold, creative and simply delicious. The cookies are artwork, like what a chef would make if he were just having fun in the kitchen while seeing how over the top he could make a cookie. I tried for years to talk Schmackary’s into franchising.”
Schmackary’s did ultimately agree to franchise with Fransmart this year. The brand expects to sign up to six multi-franchisees in 2023, followed by up to 15 in 2024, with an ultimate goal of opening 1,000 locations via 150 multi-unit franchisees. Expansion will begin on the East Coast, and then spread to the top 100 media markets in the U.S. Schmackary’s will seek out space between 800- and 1,000 s.f., with a patio, in high pedestrian urban sites with ample parking, as well as in suburban sites near popular restaurants and specialty grocers, such as Whole Foods.
“We want people who are as passionate about service as we are, and who care to put customers first each and every time,” said Zachary Schmahl, founder of Schmackary’s. “Our goal, as we continue to grow, is to make sure every store, no matter where you are in the world, will be a familiar comfort that always makes you feel like home.”
Having opened Schmackary’s in 2012 after moving to the Big Apple from his native Nebraska, Schmahl honed in on providing exciting showstopper cookies with a side of friendly down home values.
“The real star of our show is the standard of Midwestern hospitality,” Schmahl said. “We’re more than just another cookie company, we are a gathering place. In New York, we have become a time-honored tradition in the Broadway theatre district and we have cultivated an environment where everyone feels welcome.”
As for the cookies themselves, there are 85 different varieties, and the list continues to grow. The cookies are especially known for their texture that combines a crisp edge with a soft chewy center. Schmackary’s also may have kick-started the now-trendy sweet/salty flavor phenomenon that is so popular today.
“When I started Schmackary’s, I wanted to remind people just how far you could push the sweet/salty favorite,” Schmahl said. “I’m not saying we started the trend, but we definitely helped pave the way for this new era of the great American cookie resurgence!”
