Cookie Munchers’ storefront opened officially on Nov. 10 with an unannounced opening. The business started as a nighttime delivery service out of Ry’s Bagels off of William L. Dalton Drive in Glassboro in the fall of 2016.
Rowan alumni Brandon Lucante and Cassie Aran started the business after graduating from Rowan University in the spring of 2016 as a way to fund a world-wide backpacking trip. The couple originally found it to be a unique way to make money, but didn’t imagine the business would become so successful.
“Since we’ve started this, we’ve fallen in love with what we’re doing,” Lucante said. “To start, we didn’t have huge overbearing passion for cookies. But what we have fallen in love with is the business, the brand, our customers, and the process of doing it and watching it grow.”
Lucante said that he and Aran postponed the grand opening in order to finalize the storefront, which is located on Rowan Boulevard across from the 220 On the Boulevard Apartments. They continue to improve the business by adding more options to the menu, one of which being ice-cream.
Another improvement to the business is that they now accept Rowan Bucks so Rowan students can more easily pay for their food.
“I really like the size of the cookies and their whole business model on trying to replicate Insomnia Cookies,” said junior computer science major Brandon Quinn.
Quinn has been a fan of the business since its beginning. He follows the business’ Instagram page and followed their posts about the grand-opening and decided to come support the Cookie Munchers and receive a t-shirt and other merchandise.
“[The grand opening] sounded like a fun time and something to do,” Quinn replied.
Before starting their business, Lucante and Aran studied at Rowan University; Lucante was a dual public relations and marketing major, while Aran was a dual entrepreneurship and marketing major.
Lucante didn’t always think he would want to run his own business, but Aran, on the other hand, always knew she would someday be her own boss.
“I’ve always wanted to do my own business,” Aran said. “I’m not very good at working for someone else.”
As for how they came up with the idea of originally starting a cookie delivery system, the duo explained how they were just hanging out one night and realized that there aren’t that many places within walking or driving distance that offered food they wanted to eat, and even fewer that offered delivery for when you can’t walk or drive.
Additionally, the couple thought this business would be a great way to save up for a world-wide backpacking trip. As participants in the RedBull challenge and many other travel adventures, the couple explained that this experience is nothing short of a different kind of adventure, and none of the excitement of starting a new business has worn off since when they first started.
“It feels like an adventure in itself,” Aran said. “We’re still very excited to be doing this… It’s exciting to see where this goes.”
Aran and Ducante also prove that they are great at working with their significant other, and don’t let work affect their relationship, or vice versa.
“We are actually pretty good at separating being partners over business partners,” Aran said.
Lucante chimed in, saying that working with each other gives them someone who understands what they go through, in almost every aspect of their lives, rather than just a partner who only understands some of it.
“Plus I just love her,” he added. “And I never get tired of hanging out with her.”
In regards to advice to anyone that wants to open their own business, Lucante and Aran stressed that it will be more work than anticipated, and you also have to be open to the possibility of failing.
Until the couple leaves to go travel the world, they continue to bake cookies and grow as business owners.
Additional reporting by Eric Conklin.
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