trength in numbers. “That will bring the network to about 60 stores, which makes it a lot more efficient to run,” he said. “Our research shows that while customers trust both brands, they can see the Mrs. Fields brand, as a bakery/cafe, selling a whole range of products. Whereas they didn’t see the Cookie Man brand as selling anything else but cookies.” Benefield confirmed that his group would unwrap an exciting proposition for Cookie Man next year that was outside of the realm of shopping centres and kiosks. “We are not going to kill that brand off, but we will take it out of the retail/cafe component,” he said. “Mrs. Fields was always about soft baked cookies from the US, whereas Cookie Man was always about hard, crunchy biscuits. The change allows us to introduce some savoury items and breakfast items into Mrs. Fields outlets and round out the offer so that franchisees have something to offer customers from the time the shopping centre opens to the time it closes. They will have something they can sell throughout the day, rather than just cookies and coffee at morning tea and afternoon tea time.” Slowly but surely Benefield added that growing the Mrs. Fields brand organically by between four and eight stores a year is a realistic target. “There is a lot of cafe competition in Australia and we want to pick the right sites in the right places, rather just growing for the sake of growth. We want to move slowly and ensure each outlet is a success as we go forward.” For Benefield, ‘right sites in the right places’ means high traffic flow areas in top end regional shopping centres, airports, train stations and in the CBD. “Our product is about a quick refuel, no matter what you are out and about doing. We are always challenged to find good locations and good franchisees that want to be in the same spot.” And Mrs. Fields has also been busy revamping its kiosks to better reflect a home style. “Customers saw the Mrs. Fields brand as being home style, but we had these kiosks that were nice and shiny. They had red glass and marble, and really did not fit the image customers had,” said Benefield. “So we have put a lot of effort back into the use of brick and timber to give our outlets a more rustic chic, home style feel. We had to do that, plus keep the construction costs down to around the $200,000 mark.” Since the start of the year, Mrs. Fields has also introduced a range of new cookie flavours and has expanded its menu. Benefield said over 50 potential new products are currently in development, and while many may not make it to market, the most successful are often the old favourites, with a twist that meets a current trend. “The challenge is to keep pushing with new products without making the business overly complex from a product preparation point of view or by cannibalising existing products or margins.” Mrs. Fields was launched in the US in 1977 by Debbie Fields, who was trying to create the finest oven fresh cookies. Fields opened her first cookie store in Palo Alto, California, in 1977. Mrs. Fields opened its first Australian store in the 1980s, offering customers its signature soft baked cookies and over the years expanded its menu to include its award-winning coffee, hot cheese toasties, quiches, rolls, brownies and biscuits.