| Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies | |
| Type: | Private |
| Foundation: | West Orange, New Jersey |
| Founder: | Jimmy Libman |
| Location City: | Hawthorne, New Jersey |
| Location Country: | U.S. |
| Num Employees: | 20 |
| Homepage: | http://www.gjcookies.com |
Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies was founded in 1983 in West Orange, New Jersey, United States, by Jimmy Libman. Born deaf, Libman overcame his "disability" to run the cookie company by himself for more than 20 years. To supplement his work, Mr. Libman hired other deaf workers, offering them a place to hone their skills, and showing everyone that being deaf is not a limitation on success.
Under Mr. Libman, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies focused primarily on Christmas-season gift tins, serving individual and corporate customers. All production was accomplished in a small facility on South Valley Road in West Orange. Mr. Libman eventually sold the company to a group interested in expanding the Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies brand, from gift tins to a full retail-store experience. This group then opened two retail stores, known as Gimmee Jimmy's Cookie Bars, in Montclair, New Jersey and Livingston, New Jersey, respectively. The Cookie Bars married Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies with coffee and desserts, including cupcakes and muffins. The economic downturn of 2008 forced the group which had purchased the company from Mr. Libman to go out of business.
In 2009, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies was revived when it was purchased by a group based in Sarasota, Florida, which intends to grow Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies into a nationally recognized brand. The following steps have been and are being taken to improve the business:
In 2014, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies moved online, opening a large bakery in Inwood, NY, close to JFK, to facilitate faster shipping. Headed by Freeman Lewin, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies has returned to its routes of gift tins and corporate gifts and technology enabling large corporations to order en-masse. Since 2014, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies has been featured in Inc, Business Weekly, and Inquirer, and on BuzzFeed.
To re-claim the do-good nature of the company from its founding, the new owners formed the Gimmee Jimmy's Children's Foundation, to steer a portion of company proceeds to cheering children who are hospitalized with pediatric diseases. This foundation has yet to be fully mobilized, as the company decides how best to make use of the funds designated for these charitable purposes. In addition to the Gimmee Jimmy's Children's Foundation, the company is heavily involved in fundraising opportunities for schools, places of worship, and other non-profits.
Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies are certified under the OK kosher certification and the Volover Rav, Gimmee Jimmy's is pas Yisroel, and cholov Yisroel if dairy is used.