TAMPA, Fla. — It takes patience to bake cookies from scratch.
- Brandon Lucante and Cassie Aran have brought their cookie franchise to Tampa
- Cookie Munchers is located at 11842 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. near USF
- Cookie Munchers
Luckily, Brandon Lucante and Cassie Aran have plenty of patience.
“We’ve fallen on our face so many times! Entrepreneurship is like you run, you fall, you get back up,” said Aran.
It’s what drives their business, Cookie Munchers— a late night spot that satisfies the sweet tooth.
“There was just an idea that sparked up one day,” said Lucante.
They were college students at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey.
“And the next morning, we woke up and were like, ‘Oh yeah, what’s that cookie thing we were thinking about?’ And we kind of just developed it further from there,” said Lucante.
What comes out is a giant cookie, but it’s what went into them that makes the final product all the more satisfying.
“Once our apartment was up, we were like well we can either use the little bit of money that we have to get an apartment again or we can start a business with it and live in our car for a little while until it’s on its feet,” said Aran.
Fresh out of college, and homeless.
They called hundreds of restaurants in Glassboro until one finally agreed to let them use the kitchen during their off hours.
“I remember one of the first customers was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t know where this is or how this happened or where this cookies come from but it seems like magic and I love it!” said Lucante.
And now, the cookie magic is here in Tampa.
The cookies are huge.
And Lucante and Aran say that’s not an accident.
Because each cookie reminds them how important it is to dream big, and they hope it reminds others too.
“You work your butt off and you achieve it, great! Good for you! You come to cookie munchers and you get a big cookie because you dreamt big and you deserve it,” said Lucante.
Cookie Munchers is open Sunday through Tuesday from 1 pm until 1:30 am, and Wednesday through Saturday from 1 pm until 3:30 am.
Delivery is open during all operating hours.