A Kookie Monster has been unleashed in Murray Bridge, causing a crumb-filled commotion as locals line up for boxes of loaded cookies. Delicious, messy and chunky loaded cookies, baked fresh with flavour and personality now have a brand new home.
The pink-and-brown Kookie Monster shopfront opened on July 10, bringing a dedicated cookie joint to the regional city for the first time. Behind the new business is owner Jen Huseyin, a chef by trade and former Adelaide café and restaurant owner, who had sworn she would never return to hospitality.
Yet, when Jen found herself with a vacant space to fill, the idea of creating something completely different for the Murray Bridge community began to form.
“I thought, ‘Why don’t we just do something different for the community and see how it goes?’” Jen said.
Before committing to a physical store, Jen began trialling her cookies online, offering a weekly collection service to test local interest.
“We were doing a weekly pick-up and everyone was pretty keen, so we started doing the shopfront.”
The response since opening has been bigger than Jen anticipated, with the store regularly selling through its freshly baked cookies.
“It’s been crazy … There’s nothing around here that’s specialising in a specific product like this.”
“It’s been a lot of work and effort, but people are actually excited about it and talking about it. It’s been really good.”
Some customers have even been waiting at the door to secure a box of six before their favourite flavours run out. Kookie Monster have a regularly updating menu, with new cookies being released and rotated every couple days.
The store has been designed as a quick and convenient place for locals to browse the selection, satisfy their sweet tooth and grab a cookie and coffee on the go. Jen is also expanding the space, with a new outdoor area set to give customers somewhere to sit and enjoy their treats.
“We’ve just built a deck on the side of the building, so there’s going to be an alfresco area,” she said.
Among the early favourites is the Bueno Crunch, packed with chocolate chips and Kinder pieces and PSST-ACHIO filled with pools of creamy pistachio spread. The cookie flavours have also inspired Kookie Monster’s drinks menu, which includes iced coffees topped with Bueno and pistachio cold foams.
Kookie Monster is open in Murray Bridge from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturdays, with cookies available until sold out.
Where: 24a Adelaide Rd, Murray Bridge, SA 5253
For more updates keep an eye on the Kookie Monster social media.
