MASON CITY – More than a decade after a beloved cookie shop closed its doors in Mason City, the familiar taste of Cookies, etc. is making a sweet return.
Cookies, etc. announced May 15, 2026, that it will be back in Mason City this summer, serving customers every Saturday at the Mason City Farmers Market.
“Huge announcement time,” the business said in its announcement. “WE WILL BE RETURNING TO MASON CITY!! For the summer.”
The first official outdoor day is set for Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. to noon.
For many Mason City residents, the return of Cookies, etc. is more than just another food vendor joining the farmers market. It is a small bite of local nostalgia, bringing back memories of Southbridge Mall, shopping trips, after-school treats, birthday orders and the smell of fresh-baked cookies that once helped define a corner of Mason City life.
Back in 2014, NorthIowaToday reported that the Cookies, etc. store in Southbridge Mall was closing at the end of April, ending a 28-year run in Mason City. The store had been open practically since the mall opened in 1985. The store is pictured at top (by NIT) just before it closed.
At the time, the closing was another hard blow for Southbridge Mall, where foot traffic had slowed and much of the food court had grown quiet. The Mason City location had about 10 employees, many of them high school students, and workers were offered positions at the Clear Lake store.
The news was sad for longtime customers. One Mason City resident told NIT in 2014, “I’ll miss that place. It’s sad it’s going away.”
Now, 12 years later, Mason City cookie lovers will have a chance to say hello again.
The summer return will bring Cookies, etc. to the Mason City Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, giving customers a chance to pick up a treat, visit with the business and enjoy a familiar favorite in a new setting.
Cookies, etc. has long been known for fresh-baked cookies and sweet treats that became part of celebrations, errands and everyday routines for generations of North Iowans. The 2014 Mason City store offered flavors including chocolate chocolate chip, pecan chocolate chip, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, monster and sugar cookies, along with made-to-order celebration cookies that were popular with local families.
The return to Mason City may be temporary for now, but the announcement carried the kind of excitement that only a well-loved local business can create.
For those who remember stopping at the Southbridge Mall store, the May 30 farmers market appearance will be a chance to reconnect with an old favorite. For younger customers, it will be a chance to discover why so many people still remember Cookies, etc. with such affection.
And for Mason City, it means something simple and good: warm cookies, familiar smiles and a little piece of local history coming back for the summer.
Cookies, etc. will be at the Mason City Farmers Market every Saturday this summer, beginning May 30, from 9 a.m. to noon.
The nostalgia fever is growing in Mason City as the long-closed Cinema theaters in Southbridge Mall also re-opened this month. Grab a cookie and a movie?