Jun 2, 2009

Kookie Krazy tries to put marketing in the mixBy Cyndia ZwahlenLATimes.com

At Kookie Krazy Inc. in Thousand Oaks, where customers make their own oversized cookies, co-owner Mark Boos Benhard aims to re-create the magic of the original “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” movie that captivated him as a child.

The colorful store and party spot offers hands-on immersion in all things sweet, with six flavors of cookie dough, dozens of tasty bits to mix in and a post-baking trip to the toppings bar featuring chocolate syrup, sprinkles and other goodies.

“We really wanted to create something that could tap into a child’s idea of ‘no limit to possibilities’ and ‘everything is edible,’ ” said Benhard, 44, who grew up nearby with a garage full of candy boxes, thanks to his stepfather, a sales executive at a major candy company.

Milkshakes and ice-cream sandwiches, cookie cakes, gift baskets and ready-to-go cookies are also on the menu. The cookie dough, made with pasteurized egg whites from nearby Eggology Inc., is safe to eat uncooked; the shop even sells cups of raw dough to snack on.

Co-owner James J. Kelley, 45, who has been an avid cookie baker since grade school, supplied the recipes for the venture the lifelong friends cooked up in 2006.

They opened their doors a year ago in the Janss Marketplace outdoor shopping center with an initial investment of $250,000. It was summertime and business boomed with kids, families and dating couples looking for low-cost fun. “We were screaming busy, meeting or exceeding all expectations,” Kelley says.

Kookie Krazy, which charges $4.99 for the custom cookie experience, soon reached the break-even point, in which sales cover costs. The start-up business attracted interest from venture capitalists. And the snappy graphics and sophisticated branding, coupled with a unique concept, lured potential franchisees.

Sales hit $106,000 in the company’s first fiscal year, which ended last month. The owners estimate 20,000 customers have visited the shop or celebrated a birthday in the party room.

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