Iowa Cookie Company Debuts Their Second ‘Cookie ATM’

Imagine the concept of an ATM machine, but instead of cash, you get delicious cookies! That dream has become a reality as an Iowa cookie company is getting ready to debut its second cookie ATM machine this week!

Mary Jo Banwart is the owner of Cookies, etc. She told the Ames Tribune that ATM actually stands for 'Automatic Treat Machine'. She stated that they actually own a patent for the cookie delivery machine that allows her cookie company to sell its product 24 hours a day. The first cookie ATM went up in Clear Lake, Iowa in 2020. The Tribune reports that it was initially done to allow contactless sales during the COVID pandemic.

The first machine proved to be such a success that a second cookie ATM is going up this week in Ames. The Tribune reports that the machine will be located at North Grand Mall near the TJ Maxx entrance. Banwart says that the cookie ATM is based on a bait machine that sits on the beaches of Australia. It was reconfigured to hold sweet treats and not worms!

Banwart told the Tribune that the machines keep the cookies safe no matter the weather, saying that the cookies are good whether it's 100 degrees or 30 below zero. The ATM machines only accept credit and debit card transactions and each purchase requires a swipe. Banwart's cookies are made from scratch and come from recipes handed down by her mother. Banwart's nephew and his wife own and operate Cookies and More in Iowa City, which are also made using family recipes.