Every day when the bell rings at the end of second hour, students fill the halls, chatter fills the stairwells, and the smell of fresh baked cookies fills nostrils. Emitting from the Mustang Mart is the mouth-watering scent of Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, which have caused a frenzy among the student body.

Due to their new centrally located storefront, the Mustang Mart has been able to successfully reintroduce the sale of cookies.

Nearly ten years ago, cookies were sold at the Mustang Mart. Despite the popularity, once the staff advisors left the school and new health guidelines were imposed, the idea to sell cookies dissipated. The current advisors of the Mustang Mart have been waiting for the completion of new construction to resume sales.

When MN underwent the new construction project, the Mustang Mart was refaced and given more space for merchandise and advertising.

“I think we’re much more visible,” staff advisor Elizabeth Swedlund said. “Being at the front of the school, you automatically see us when you come into the building.”

Now, the new construction has allowed more floor and storage space for the Mustang Mart, making the dream of selling cookies a reality.
“We talked about selling cookies in our old location, but it wasn’t logistically possible. The new store allows more space for our ovens and freezers that are necessary for the cookies,” Swedlund said.

The Mustang Mart offers six different types of cookies throughout the week. While chocolate chip may be the overall favorite, they also offer peanut butter, sugar, white macadamia nut, M&M, and oatmeal raisin.

The cookies are sold in pairs for one dollar every day. They begin selling them at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. on Mondays. Due to federal health laws, when the lunch rush begins at 11:45 a.m., the cookie sales end. The leftover cookies are then sold at the start of 6th hour.

Regardless of the time of day, cookie sales continue to be booming.

“As of now, we sell around 200-250 bags of cookies a day. All sales are managed by our store managers. We’re really proud of them for taking the initiative of managing the school store,” Swedlund said.

One of these store managers includes senior Rachel Brader, who also serves as DECA VP of Membership Services. Brader is in charge of the baking and the sale of the cookies. All of the workers at the Mustang Mart put in copious hours into the production of the store, with little in return.

“I work in there during my three off hours most days. We appreciate that people are willing to put in that time because we don’t get paid, it’s purely a volunteer position,” Brader said.

These dedicated volunteers work daily to bake the fresh Otis Spunkmeyer cookies and make the store appeal to more students. That work has begun to pay off with the obvious popularity in cookie sales.

“I believe sales have become so popular because students become hungry during the school day,” Purchasing Manager senior Claire Turner said. “When people walk by and smell the fresh baked cookies, they can’t help themselves.”

Not only has the sale of cookies at the Mustang Mart helped boost profit for the store, but it also has taught student workers some valuable life lessons.

“Working in the Mustang Mart has improved my ability to bake,” Turner joked.

Workers have also gained incredible insight to how businesses work.

“I think the most rewarding part is the experience we’re getting by being able to run our own little business right at school. We are always striving to find new real world experiences,” Brader said.