Columbia residents and Mizzou students have battled the question: Hot Box or Insomnia? Although these two local favorites compete for their share of the cookie market, everyone seems to be divided on who really makes the best cookies and has the best experience.
For all you cookie newbies, here’s some background on the competitors. Hot Box Cookies was founded in 2008 by a Mizzou alumni while he was a student at the university. All cookies are made fresh in-house along with their famed icing sandwiches, milkshakes, and cookie cakes. Insomnia Cookies was founded by a student at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 and is a staple at college campuses across the country. Besides their wide range of cookie selections, they also serve ice cream, cold milk, and cookie cakes. So how does one choose?
To settle such a perilous question, I headed out into downtown Columbia to find the best late night cookie fix.
Price: For every college student on a a budget, Hot Box is your place. For a $1.00, you can grab yourself a hot cookie, compared to $1.45 at Insomnia.
Atmosphere: To grab a few cookies with friends, Hot Box is the best in town to head too. With a larger indoor seating area than Insomnia, it’s perfect for your friend group. But for a more patio feel, head to Insomnia. Located in a quieter part of downtown, they have great patio seating for those late summer nights.
Hot Box Specialties: Love the cookies but love to bake? No problem, Hot Box sells their cookie dough so you can replicate their cookies in the comfort of your home. If you have a taste for something uniquely Hot Box, try their icing sandwich. The name doesn’t lie- two hot cookies with thick icing in the middle, the perfect sweet treat.
Insomnia Specialties: Nothing screams sugar rush more than fresh cookies with some ice cream. Luckily, Insomnia has ice creams like Birthday Cake, Cookie Dough, Moosetracks and Strawberry to pair with their cookies. If you love it enough, you can buy a pint for $7.00 to take with you on the go. Also available are brownie, cookie, and deluxe a La Modes. If their cookies aren’t satisfying enough, you can take it to the next level with their Jumbo Deluxe cookies for double the sweetness.
Specials: For all you freshman in residence halls, you’re in luck- Insomnia runs specials for all your dorm needs. For 50 cookies, it’s $56.00, for 100 cookies, it’s $110.00 and so on. A few other popular Insomnia deals include The SixPack, The Sugar Rush, and The Major Rager, all with 6, 12, and 18 cookies. Hot Box specials include 12 cookies and 2 drinks for $14.95, 18 cookies and 4 drinks for $23.95, and 24 cookies and 5 drinks for $31.95. So what’s really the best deal? If you’re looking for a small group or just having one of those days, the Hot Box 12 cookies and 2 drinks is perfect and slightly cheaper than Insomnia. For a large group, grab the B.M.O.C. at Insomnia for 24 cookies.
Delivery: For those who want fresh cookies without leaving your bed, Insomnia is the place to order with. Delivery times run until 3 a.m with Hot Box running its last orders out before midnight.
As for my experience? Hot Box stole my heart with their famous Cookies N Creme, Snickerdoodle, and classic Chocolate Chip. The staff was welcoming and the atmosphere was fun and casual with the group of friends that tagged along on my experiment. I also loved knowing I was supporting a local business with Mizzou ties and not a chain. But Insomnia’s delivery times can’t be beat. My consensus is to stick with Hot Box for their quality cookies and hit up Insomnia for those late night deliveries.