It's 11 p.m. on Wednesday, and English senior Nathaniel Janick and his friend, professional writing sophomore Phil DeAngelis, are leaving Wells Hall after seeing a movie.
A tad hungry, DeAngelis, Janick and their friends are not interested in eating a full course meal or fast food. The group of five men are craving sugar.
"We were like 'Damn, I can go for some cookies,'" DeAngelis said.
Remembering a commercial for a new cookie joint that just opened, Janick and his band of sweet-seeking men head to Insomnia Cookies, 603 E. Grand River Ave.
Unlike most businesses on Grand River Avenue, Insomnia Cookies isn't open during the day. The company has made its reputation for providing late night snacks to hungry students, open from 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
"Most people want something really rich and delicious and not heavy," said Joe Essenfeld, one of the company's partners.
Insomnia Cookies got its start at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 when Seth Berkowitz, who was then a junior at the university, created the cookie-selling company.
Since then, the store has spread to Syracuse University, University of Maryland, University of Illinois, Cornell University, Binghamton University and New York University.
"We just thought MSU was a great school," Essenfeld said. "Its demographics, size and spirit of the campus made us want to open as soon as possible."
The store in East Lansing offers customers the option to come in and buy cookies, something that is unique for the franchise. Delivery orders are the biggest part of the company's business, Essenfeld said.
Although Insomnia Cookies is not the first store of its kind, it could face competition from another business down Grand River Avenue. Mrs. Fields, the national cookie chain, is the first retail store to sell cookies and baked goods. The chain has a store in Meridian Mall.
Mrs. Fields Manager Sam Patel said he didn't really know about what any other cookie stores are doing. The chain hasn't faced much competition in the past, he added.
"We just sell cookies," he said.
Essenfeld said Insomnia Cookies is still in a pre-grand opening stage and will offer more cookies and possibly extend their hours to accommodate large crowds.
"We've always been a late night treat," Essenfeld said. "We want to start out that way, just real conservative, but so far we are thinking about expanding."
