Do Mrs. Fields Cookies Still Exist? The Brand's History, Explained

With malls becoming increasingly obsolete by the day and shopping habits turning towards the online space, one wonders how and to where many staples of a bygone youth culture have vanished. Despite the many mall food court restaurants that quietly disappeared, one name still rings out the loudest: Mrs. Fields. The brand is so synonymous with malls that the mere mention of such a shopping center conjures up memories of the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked cookies. One may wonder if Mrs. Fields is still in business, and, if so, where can one find its nostalgic sweet treats? Thanks to innovative branding and adapting to the times, you will be happy to know that the now Salt Lake City-based company is alive and well, having largely shifted to online sales and licensing trademarks and recipes.

Founded by baking enthusiast and entrepreneur Debbi Fields in 1977, the very first Mrs. Fields location opened in Palo Alto, California. In the 1980s, Mrs. Fields began expanding its presence across American shopping malls, featuring mouth-watering soft-baked cookies that boasted a distinctly different consistency from their crispy, crunchy contemporaries. By 1992, Fields sold the company to an investment firm for $100 million, and by 2014, the slow death of the shopping mall put the brand in a bind. Yet, Mrs. Fields persevered, and, as of January 2025, there are still more than 100 locations across the United States, with the most in California, Illinois, and New Jersey.

Knowing how to make the absolute softest chocolate chip cookies definitely set Mrs. Fields apart from other brands on the market in the company's infancy. Equipped with an excellent product, Debbi Fields' literally went out into the streets to share samples of her cookies on the first day of business in the hopes of enticing customers to come back and shop at her store. In this day and age, however, a great product isn't always enough. Browsing the Mrs. Fields website, it's clear that expanding to a larger variation of offerings — including sweets like hand-dipped strawberries, fresh fruits, and coffee cakes — has definitely helped the brand maintain relevance and customer loyalty. Still, Mrs. Fields' current bestsellers include customizable cookie cakes, gift boxes, and a signature tub of bite-sized "Nibbler" cookies.

Additionally, offering specials on bulk, corporate gifts, and more is significant motivation to secure repeat business from satisfied customers. All of these products can be ordered over the phone or online, with a prompt on the website for customers who wish to request a PDF product catalog. Mrs. Fields even has an entire Amazon storefront from which shoppers can purchase cookie tins and gift boxes. Large chain stores like Walmart even carry snack packs of Mrs. Fields cookies, rivaling offerings of any other grocery store chocolate chip cookies. Although the humble American mall has seen better days, the cookies we've come to know and love are still warm and widely available.