Max Surnow: Cooper Street started with a family recipe that’s been around for more than 100 years. Those cookies were a big part of family gatherings, especially up at the family cabin, where everyone would bake together and share them with whoever was around. It’s one of those stories where food was never just food—it was tied to connection, tradition, and some really special memories.

Then in 2011, Elaine decided to turn that family tradition into something bigger and launched Cooper Street in Birmingham, MI, with her sons, Sam and me. She wanted to bring that recipe to more people, but in a way that made sense for how people eat today. So she modernized it with simple, quality ingredients and created the lighter, crisp twice-baked cookie we became known for.

Since then, we’ve grown a lot. We’re now a nationally distributed, woman-owned family business with products like our Twice Baked Cookies, Granola Bakes, and now the It’s Just a Cookie line. Even with all that growth, the goal still feels pretty simple: make really delicious snacks with real ingredients that people feel good about eating and sharing.

JS: You’ve been around a very long time, yet you keep things fresh with product and flavor innovations. Could you talk a little bit about how you balance those innovations with the desire to stay true to your roots/mission, and keep both your loyal fans and new customers happy?

MS: Innovation always starts with a pretty simple gut check: does this still feel like Cooper Street? If it doesn’t, then it’s probably not the right move for us.

We’ve built the brand around quality ingredients, family values, and snacks that feel genuinely enjoyable. So whenever we’re creating something new, we want it to feel exciting and fresh, but never at the expense of the trust we’ve built with customers over the years.

That usually means starting with flavors people already know and love, keeping ingredient standards high, and making products that fit how people actually snack today. Our longtime customers appreciate that consistency, while new customers might discover us through a fun launch or partnership.

At the end of the day, it’s really about respecting where we came from while making sure we continue to grow with today’s consumer.

JS: Your latest innovation is fun; please tell us about the Barbie Birthday Cake item, including the flavors, packaging, and anything else you’d like to point out.

MS: The Barbie Birthday Cake cookie is definitely one of our most fun launches to date. We wanted it to capture that classic birthday cake feeling people instantly recognize—sweet vanilla flavor, colorful sprinkles, and that little sense of celebration that comes with it.

Working with Mattel made that vision even more exciting. Barbie is such an iconic brand that has remained relevant across generations by continuing to evolve while still holding onto the joy and nostalgia people associate with it. They’ve done such a great job keeping Barbie fresh, aspirational, and culturally meaningful, so partnering with them felt very natural.

From a packaging standpoint, we really leaned into that Barbie energy. It’s bright, playful, and hard to miss on the shelf. We wanted it to be the kind of product that makes people smile before they even open the bag.

But underneath all the fun, it still has to deliver as a Cooper Street product. So you’re still getting real ingredients, no seed oils, peanut-free and tree nut-free attributes, and that crisp, satisfying texture people know us for. It’s playful and nostalgic, but it’s also just a great everyday snack - which is what made the launch feel so right for us.

JS: Specifically, the product stands at the intersection of a number of notable trends—can you share a bit about that?

MS: This product taps into several strong consumer trends at once. First is nostalgia. Consumers are gravitating toward products that feel joyful, familiar, and connected to childhood memories. Barbie is one of the most recognizable icons in that space, with a timeless appeal that resonates across generations.

Second is ingredient awareness. Today’s shoppers still want treats and snacks they enjoy, but they’re also paying closer attention to what’s in them. They’re looking for options made with recognizable ingredients and brands they trust.

Third is shareability. Consumers love discovering products that are visually fun, culturally relevant, and worth talking about online or with friends. Products that create a smile moment or spark curiosity tend to perform really well.

The Barbie Birthday Cake cookie brings all of those elements together.

JS: Collaborating with Mattel’s beloved character is fun;  could you tell us how that came about, and what the collaboration says about Cooper Street?

MS: We’re always looking for partnerships that feel authentic to our brand and genuinely exciting for consumers. Barbie was a natural fit because she represents joy, confidence, creativity, and incredible multi-generational relevance.

The collaboration also reflects where Cooper Street is today. We’re proud of our heritage and family roots, but we’re also excited to think bigger, be playful, and connect with new audiences in fresh ways.

For a family-founded bakery brand like ours to partner with an icon like Barbie is a special moment, and it shows that tradition and innovation can absolutely go hand in hand.

Courtesy of Cooper Street

JS: What’s next for Cooper Street? I’d love to hear about any new products in the works, new retail partnerships, expansions, etc.

MS: We see a lot of opportunity ahead. Our focus is continued national growth through expanded retail partnerships, stronger household awareness, and thoughtful innovation.

On the product side, we’ll keep exploring new flavors, seasonal launches, and snack categories that build on what people already love about Cooper Street: approachable, delicious snacks made with quality ingredients.

Just as importantly, we want to keep building a brand people trust—not only for the products, but for how we show up as a family business that values community and giving back. We’ve been around a long time, but it feels like one of our most exciting chapters is still ahead.

Related: Cooper Street blends tradition with BFY bites