Not much smells better than freshly baked cookies and every food retailer knows, nothing stimulates purchase like something that gets the mouth salivating and the stomach gurgling.  So how terrific is this new idea from Toronto’s Sweet Flour Bake Shop!.  They let customers design their own cookies and bake them fresh in only 2 minutes.

First you choose your own cookie dough base – original, peanut butter or oatmeal.  Then you can choose from more than 20 mix-ins – chocolate chunks, dried blueberries, toffee pieces, nuts etc etc.  Wait 2 minutes while the smell drive you nuts in anticipation and you have your cookie.

They sell for CDN2.50 each of CDN19 by the dozen.

This is a brilliant idea for any shopping centre but think about how terrific it would be in an airport.  Imagine arriving at the airport all tired and jaded, to be greeted by the aroma of fresh cookies baking. Wander over, get a few custom made and gobble them up before your bags even arrive on the carousel.  Even better, grab a few to munch on the way to that meeting to replenish your energy and get your brain spinning in a wonderful sugar rush.  I think airports would make a fortune with an idea like this – whether in arrivals or departures.  And the smell stimulates the appetite which would help all the food retailers in the area.

If you’re in Toronto you can visit the Sweet Flour Bake Shop at 2352 Bloor Street West