Business: Cookies By Design and Cupcakes By Design
Address: 1163 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville
Phone/website: 630-369-1054, www.cookiesbydesign.com and www.cupcakebydesign.com
Owner: Stacey Swartz, 49, of West Chicago
Years in business: 30
What does your business do? “People can come in, purchase cupcakes, cookies, fine chocolates. We have a dog treat line,” Swartz said.
What’s the background? “Cookies by Design is the franchise (my in-laws started) 30 years ago. It wasn’t until the last 10 years we introduced Cupcakes by Design. …. My (future) mother-in-law hired me. She and my (future) father-in-law had their first store in Rolling Meadows. Lynne and Olin Turner.
“They were at a crossroads in their life. … They knew they wanted (to own) a franchise. They looked at muffins and bagels. … No one was doing cookies, especially a cookie bouquet. That was the hottest thing. … Little did I know that walking out of my interview, my future husband, Adam, was building out the store. … Skokie was store number two. Store number three was Naperville. We opened six stores.”
Any future plans? “Because of recessions, 9/11, COVID-19 and just because I’ve been doing it so long, we’re scaling down. We have two kids. Lauren is 21, Brandon is 18. Lauren swims on a scholarship at University of Wyoming. Brandon, he’s going to play football at South Dakota School of Mines (and Technology). My kids are out west. Guess where I want to go? … Right now, we have two stores. Schaumburg and Naperville.”
What happens at each store? “In Naperville, we do all the large orders, custom orders, corporate orders, wholesale orders. … In Schaumburg, we make fruit bouquets. We partnered up with 1-800-FLOWERS about 15 years ago, and make fruit bouquets for them, cake pops and mini-cheesecakes.”
How long at this address? “We moved in here in November 2020. The Saturday before Thanksgiving. … We used to be on Ogden where Costco is.”
How has the pandemic impacted your business? “It was wonderful to us. I know you hear it’s hurt a lot of businesses but, for me, it was a blessing. I already had the infrastructure of delivery drivers. When people could not be with their loved ones because of COVID-19, they were sending gifts. My business quadrupled. We were working 24/7. … The orders kept coming in. Mother’s Day and Easter (in 2020) were insane.
“My biggest and most grateful customers are my corporate customers. They’re my bread and butter. They are the ones who have stuck with me over the years. A lot of them have been with me more than 20 years. … I’ve done business with McDonald’s, Northwestern Medicine, the Blackhawks. I’ve been very blessed.”
What about walk-ins? “Yes, the regulars come in. They want their peanut butter. They want their snickerdoodle. I’ll have it ready and waiting for them.”
Where do you get ideas? “I’m very creative so a lot of ideas come from me. My decorators, my employees, they’re amazing at what they do. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for them. Some of my best Ideas come from my employees. … If someone has a suggestion, I’m open to that.”
How many employees do you have? “I have about 28 at both locations, plus drivers on top of that.”
When do the bakers start? “They start at 5 a.m.”
What do you like about your job? “The creativity. The brand. The cookie bouquet. We are part of every momentous occasion in someone’s life. Birthday. Anniversary. Valentine’s Day. People can’t wait to get their cookie bouquet. It’s an emotional product. I love going to the front counter and getting their reaction to this thing we made from scratch.”
From scratch? “We make everything from scratch. Everything is hand-decorated and assembled. It never gets old. I love that ‘wow’ I get out of you when you see your cookie bouquet.”
What misconceptions do people have? “Everyone thinks it’s so easy. Those customers who want it here and now? They don’t understand everything we do. I don’t have cookies laying around. I make everything fresh to order. I’m a crazy woman for quality.”
What about competition? “A lot of cookie companies have come and gone. I try to not worry about the competition. I worry about me.”
Cookies or cupcakes? “I’m a cupcake girl. … But I have cookies I could eat all day long.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “You better be ready to work your tootie off. People don’t understand the number of hours that go into any business. It never shuts off.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
