From Frozen Cookie Dough to Individually Wrapped Cookies: A Case Study
How a popular QSR converted to thaw and serve cookies — and upgraded flavors along the way.
The Foodservice Baked Goods Challenge: Make It Even Easier
When our customer, a popular Quick Serve Restaurant brand, reached out to us about a new bakery innovation project, we were already manufacturing their much-loved cookie dough. Although their brand fans were obsessed with the super premium, decadent cookies, there was just one problem: back of house labor. The brand’s franchisees wanted new in-kitchen efficiencies, and the fresh baked cookies operation had been identified as a labor saving opportunity.
The tricky part? Our customer’s cookie was no ordinary sweet treat. The pre-portioned cookie dough we had been making for them was fresh baked on-location every day, and the result was a large, gourmet cookie, rich with tempting visible inclusions and a beautiful fresh-baked profile. Could this ultra-premium masterpiece really be converted into a pre-baked and frozen individually-wrapped cookie, distributed nationwide for a Thaw & Serve program, without leaving the brand’s devoted cookie fans behind?
Trusting that CraftMark Bakery could develop the perfect solution, the brand approached us to find out if a change to a Thaw & Serve foodservice cookie could even be possible without any detriment to the brand experience. Obviously, this top QSR brand would never want to disappoint their fans with an inferior product.
And if that wasn’t a tall enough order, in addition to requesting that we replicate their everyday cookie flavors in a Thaw & Serve cookie, they also asked CraftMark Bakery to innovate additional unique, super premium flavors in a pre-baked cookie that could be presented for Limited Time Only or seasonal offerings.
The CraftMark Bakery Solution:
Thaw & Serve, Individually Wrapped Cookies
The CraftMark Marketing team conducted research into the latest trends in cookie flavor profiles and collaborated with our ingredient suppliers for some ideas using unique ingredients, inclusions and flavors. Ultimately, we made several recommendations for LTO and seasonal flavors.
Then, once the customer was ready to move ahead with a new collection of gourmet cookies, CraftMark Bakery’s R&D team developed replica Thaw & Serve cookie formulas for the customer’s review and approval, adjusting the formulas to be baked on our own cookie manufacturing line — an entirely different process from the foodservice ovens we optimized their original frozen cookie dough for.
Best Practices In Foodservice Bakery Innovation
One of the biggest concerns of the customer was ensuring their iconic cookie maintained the same decadent eating experience. CraftMark Bakery delivered on this challenge, replicating a premium fresh baked texture, appearance, and flavor, with high-end packaging to match.
The result is a premium item that sells for a top price point, and with a high cookie add-on incidence, the program adds a significant boost to this QSR’s check averages. With a highly successful launch, this QSR chain was thrilled to not only realize the labor efficiencies they were hoping for — it doesn’t get any easier than Thaw & Serve — but an overall positive ROI now and into the future.
Foodservice Cookie Program Takeaways: Own your Formula
Once our customers engage CraftMark Bakery to match a product or develop innovative new baked goods for them, they own their formulas. We are proud of the way we partner with our foodservice customers, in full transparency. This is part of the CraftMark Bakery difference.
Upgrade your Foodservice Cookies with CraftMark Bakery
Let CraftMark Bakery help your foodservice brand optimize your cookie program. Contact our experts today to discover new possibilities in fully baked, individually wrapped cookies for foodservice.