Great American Cookies
{{short description|Gourmet cookie chain}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2010}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Great American Cookie Co.
| trade_name = Great American Cookie
| logo = Great American Cookies (logo, stacked).svg
| image =
| image_size =
| image_caption =
| type = Wholly owned subsidiary
| founded = {{Start date and age|1977}}
Dunwoody, Georgia, U.S.
| founders = {{ublist |Michael J. Coles |Arthur Karp}}
| hq_location = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
| num_locations = 371
| num_locations_year = February 20, 2022
| area_served = United States
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia
| industry = Food
Bake shop Franchising
| key_people =
| products = {{ublist |Cookies |Cookie cake |Sandwich cookies |Brownies}}
| revenue =
| parent = FAT Brands
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.greatamericancookies.com/|greatamericancookies.com}}
}}
Great American Cookie Co., doing business as Great American Cookies, is an American chain of independently owned and operated franchised stores that specialize in gourmet cookies, especially cookie cakes. It has over 290 stores in the U.S., particularly in the Southeast as well as Puerto Rico and Guam, most commonly located in malls. The company was founded in 1977 and has its headquarters in Atlanta. It has been a franchise brand in the portfolio of Global Franchise Group since 2010.
History
File:Great American Cookies (logo, historical).svg
Great American Cookie Co. was founded by future CEO Michael J. Coles and partner Arthur Karp, who each invested $4,000 to develop a business selling cookies on the strength of a family recipe passed on to Karp's wife.{{cite web |url=http://www.bison.com/press_greatamericancookies_06182002 |title=Press release: Great American Cookies celebrates 25 years of sharing the fun of cookies |website=BISON:Franchise and Business Opportunities|date=June 18, 2002|access-date=April 7, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222181217/http://www.bison.com/press_greatamericancookies_06182002 |archive-date=February 22, 2008 }} That same year the first store opened in Atlanta's Perimeter Mall.{{cite web |url=http://www.thefranchisemall.com/franchises/details/10987-0-Great_American_Cookie_Company.htm |title=Great American Cookie Company Franchise |website=thefranchisemall.com|access-date=April 7, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316044633/http://www.thefranchisemall.com/franchises/details/10987-0-Great_American_Cookie_Company.htm |archive-date=March 16, 2008 }}
The first store in Perimeter Mall became successful in its first month, and the company first became franchised the year after its opening.{{cite web |url=http://www.ceomakers.com/SpeakerNotes/Michael%20Coles.doc |title=SpeakerNotes/Michael Coles |website=ceomakers.com |access-date=April 7, 2008 |date=January 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709163640/http://www.ceomakers.com/SpeakerNotes/Michael%20Coles.doc |archive-date=July 9, 2007 }} By 1985, the company had revenue of $100 million per year and was the largest retail cookie chain in the U.S.{{cite news |title=Mall cookie sales make company a sweet success |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71752154/the-leaf-chronicle/ |work=The Leaf-Chronicle |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press |date=October 23, 1985 |language=en |accessdate=February 22, 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222083514/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71752154/the-leaf-chronicle/ |archivedate=February 22, 2021 }}
In 1985, Coles shortened the name to Great American Cookie Company, with a plan to shorten it further to Great American Cookies. "To complement the revised recipes and pricing structure, we refashioned our branding. Our name—the Original Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Company—was cute at first, but it had become a liability. What might work for a small, local company did not have national cachet," said Coles.{{Cite book|last=Coles, Michael Joseph, 1944-|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1030909455|title=Time to get tough : how cookies, coffee, and a crash led to success in business and life|others=Lewis, Catherine M.,, Kennedy, Jim, 1948-|year=2018 |isbn=978-0-8203-5462-0|location=Athens, Georgia|oclc=1030909455}}
When Coles sold the firm to Mrs. Fields Famous Brands in 1998, the company had sales of over $100 million.{{cite web |url=http://www.iei-inc.org/Dec_6__2007_forum.html |title=Entrepreneurial Forum - Breakfast Series, features: Michael Coles|access-date=April 7, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016005801/http://www.iei-inc.org/Dec_6__2007_forum.html |archive-date=October 16, 2008 }} On January 29, 2008, the company was acquired by NexCen Brands Inc. for its Quick Service Restaurant portfolio, which included sister companies Marble Slab Creamery, MaggieMoo's Ice Cream and Treatery and Pretzelmaker. Since July 2010, this portfolio of brands has been owned by Global Franchise Group, LLC, an affiliate of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, and managed by GFG Management.{{cite web |url=http://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/NexCen+Brands+(NEXC)+Buys+the+Great+American+Cookie+Company+From+Mrs.+Fields+Famous+Brands/3302691.html |title=NexCen Brands (NEXC) buys the Great American Cookie Company from Mrs. Fields Famous Brands |website=streetinsider|access-date=April 7, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515210251/http://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/NexCen+Brands+(NEXC)+Buys+the+Great+American+Cookie+Company+From+Mrs.+Fields+Famous+Brands/3302691.html |archive-date=May 15, 2008 }}
On June 28, 2021, Global Franchise Group announced that it would be acquired by FAT Brands, owners of Fatburger and Johnny Rockets.{{cite news |last1=Inc |first1=FAT Brands |title=FAT Brands Inc. Agrees to Acquire Global Franchise Group for $442.5 million |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/06/28/2253672/0/en/FAT-Brands-Inc-Agrees-to-Acquire-Global-Franchise-Group-for-442-5-million.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=GlobeNewswire News Room |date=28 June 2021 |language=en}} The acquisition was completed on July 22.{{cite news |last1=Inc. |first1=FAT Brands |title=FAT Brands Completes Acquisition of Global Franchise Group |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/07/22/2267572/0/en/FAT-Brands-Completes-Acquisition-of-Global-Franchise-Group.html |access-date=1 September 2021 |work=GlobeNewswire News Room |date=22 July 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite news|last1=Brett|first1=Jennifer|title="It's not complicated. It's cookies." Wit and wisdom from Michael Coles|url=https://www.ajc.com/business/not-complicated-cookies-wit-and-wisdom-from-michael-coles/fu6YWpWe2NVItVbXhFJzbI/|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=January 27, 2019|page=D1}}
- {{cite news |last1=McWilliams |first1=Jeremiah |title=In soft economy, cookies put to test |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/422673675 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=September 8, 2010 |page=A11}}
External links
- [http://www.greatamericancookies.com Official Great American Cookies website]
{{Global Franchise Group}}
{{Fast-food chains of the United States}}
Category:Companies based in Atlanta
Category:Bakeries of the United States
Category:American companies established in 1977
Category:Restaurants established in 1977