Iowa Cafe Swamped With Orders For "Obama Cookie"

DES MOINES, Iowa — Want an example of the change Barack Obama is bringing to the country? Check out cookie sales at Baby Boomers Cafe in Des Moines.

Ever since word spread about the president-elect and his family's fondness for Baby Boomers' chocolate chunk cookies, the small downtown restaurant can't bake them fast enough.

"Two months ago I was giving these cookies away," said co-owner Rodney Maxfield. "Now, it's like, 'I need two dozen cookies. I need four-dozen cookies.'"

The Obamas were frequent visitors to the cafe in the summer of 2007 when the Illinois senator devoted much of his time to Iowa, where the state's precinct caucuses kick off the presidential nominating process. Obama's main office was next door to Boomers, and his staff made the cafe a second home.

His daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, would stop by with their mother, Michelle, and Maxfield said they loved the cookies. During a stop in Iowa last month, Obama's staff ordered about a dozen cookies for the family. That's when word got out about their affection for the confection.

Suddenly, sales of 400 cookies in a good week soared to more than 1,000 a week, with requests coming from as far away as Mexico. Alas, the price is going up, from 50 cents to 75 cents a cookie to make up for the time it takes to make more each day.

"I think everybody just ... thought, 'Oh, great cookie, great president _ the world is a happy place. Barack's going to fix all the problems and if I have a bite of this cookie it's going to make me feel good,'" Maxfield said.

(This version CORRECTS time to summer of 2007 instead of last summer.)

Comments

[butcherslam]

I live in Des Moines and the lady that owns Baby Boomers is a serious Republican that is active in that parties' functions. It looks like Obama is turning her economy around already!

[Last-LiberalRepublicans]

HAHAHAHA, I LOVE IT!! Good Story!!

[kjstjohn]

If she is lucky enough to be in the over $250,000 bracket and pay some additional income taxes, will she blame Obama?

[Thefamilyvan]

If Obama were a cookie, what kind would he be? A chocolate chip cookie! Yellow dough with brown chips sprinkled within. Very representative of our country!

[Noel Leon]

Well, perhaps white and dark carob. How do you get yellow dough?

[brooklyncitizen]

Well cookies originated in Persia......made by Muslims and they evolved to their present state thfouhg the Ducth who brought them over as "koekje" later came to be called cookie.

[Patricia84]

Just like universities. Isn't the world a great place?

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

I love chocolate chip cookies. I make them myself. But my sister in law who I can't really stand makes the best chocolate chip cookies I know. I always tell her that. She has her good side. But sometimes the bad outdoes the good.

[ohmetoo]

Does anyone have the recipe, and if so care to share?

[Noel Leon]

Lots of sugar but no substance, fatty, and overpriced.

Given cabinet picks, add that they are stale.

[Thefamilyvan]

I suppose you enjoy the bitter, hard kind. The one that no one wants and have been left on the shelf for so long that you can't even give them away. Considering the problems today, they're likely to give you food poisoning.

[tailgateshirts]

looks like a dash of bitterness is included with you as well

[kissmygrits]

You've got issues, and no the relevant kind.

[MarcoEsquandolas]

I was for chocolate cookies before i was against them...thankfully i'm for them again...

[bluekatz]

At least the cookies are made in America!

[Ngaio]

Jelly beans? Or cookies? Hmmmm

[Mygirl]

Great ! I am glad that this small business is selling more cookies.

[musicisourhigh]

I am always willing to try a good cookie.

[Yovovi]

I am sure these cookies are delicious, but I am sure others can make a good chocolate chip cookie. Might I suggest instead of ordering from Iowa when you live in New York, Florida, California, etc. -- that you buy from local bakeries? Supporting businesses in your hometowns helps your local economy and it is better for the environment to buy locally - whether it be from farmers' markets or bakeries.

[tailgateshirts]

Alot of you need to relax. Lets hate the Small Business making a profit and probably working overtime (thus needing to pay employees overtime) to produce more cookies.

Some of you people cant be happy no matter what. Why dont you start your own small business and stop complaining

[SPQR1052]

To contact the shop and order your supply here's their post street address and telephone info:

Baby Boomers Café 313 E Locust St Des Moines, IA 50309 [phone]

Keep the American economy strong, support small businesses!!

You betcha!

[MissKaren]

I think it's terrrific. We have a nearby bakery that gives jobs to street people and helps them clean up their lives and rehabilitate themselves. They have to work hard but the dignity they get is amazing. Small business is the backbone of America and will lead the way out of this mess we're in that big business engineered. Way to go, Boomers. If I were not on a diet, I'd be ordering them.

[ZimboChick]

Help them out. Start a rumour online that Obama ate there and they will have booming business. I can do it for you if u like ^^^

[SouthFloridaDem]

See? Manufacturing jobs are coming back already. heheh

[mydoglucky]

Judging from some of the comments, I think alot of folks out there didn't have a nice Thanksgiving.

[Brillig]

Amen, but I think it is more like Thanksgiving didn't find any nice people!