DeWitt's Gourmet Cookies Changes Business Model

JOLIET, IL — The owner of Joliet's DeWitt's Gourmet Cookies has reinvented his business model amid the coronavirus pandemic. During the past year, a number of Joliet restaurants also carried DeWitt's Gourmet cookies inside their restaurants, but that's changing as well.

Nicholas Morris, owner of DeWitt's Gourmet, told Joliet Patch last week that he transitioned his gourmet cookie business exclusively to online sales in December. After placing the online order, customers can drive to downtown Joliet, and Morris will bring their cookies outside to their car.

"Now, I'm running the business through my online store," Morris said. "We do curbside and local deliveries in a 10-mile radius (from this building) and I ship nationwide."

DeWitt's Gourmet has been in downtown Joliet for 2 1/2 years.

Morris said his business transition to online-only sales is off to a good start.

For one order, "About two weeks ago, I did about 500 cookies," Morris said. "You can go from a dozen to 500-plus."

Morris said the online sales procedure is simple. Customers visit his website and place their orders here. Orders can be placed day or night, 24 hours a day, he said.

Morris told Patch he will continue to bake cookies and keep the storefront in downtown Joliet. His address is 20 East Cass St.

"If nothing else, it's the pickup location, plus I'm still making cookies here," Morris told Joliet Patch.

Morris also sells frozen cookie dough, plus he makes cookie cakes.

And to grow his marketing presence around the Joliet region, Morris said he is now selling facial masks for DeWitt's Gourmet Cookies as well as T-shirts.

For a lot of Midwest businesses, particularly restaurants, January can be a tough time.

Morris, though, is gearing up for some of his strongest sales of the year. After all, it's almost Valentine's Day.

He said his heart-shaped cookie cakes are always popular around Valentine's Day.

"We're COVID friendly, meaning you pull up to the storefront, and we bring out your order," Morris said.