FIRST: Insomnia Cookies

Have you ever been up until 2 a.m. just wishing you had a warm, fresh baked cookie? Well, thankfully for all the insomniacs out there, Insomnia Cookies in downtown Kent is able to provide just that.

With Kent State so close to the downtown area, Insomnia Cookies is a popular sweet treat spot for students like Sophia Ball, a sophomore education major.

“I come here pretty often,” Ball said. “The cookies are really good.”

Ball said her favorite cookie at Insomnia is the snickerdoodle. She also said students are always around the downtown area looking to stop at Insomnia.

For those who would like to enjoy a warm dessert from the comfort of their dorm, house or apartment, Insomnia Cookies offers late-night delivery.

“We specialize in delivering warm, delicous cookies right to the doors of individuals and companies alike,” the Insomnia website stated. “What’s not to love?”

SECOND: Popped!

Popped! began bringing sweet and salty treats to Kent in 2012. These days they sell everything sweet from ice cream to candy, but their specialty lies in their namesake: popcorn.

Gwen Rosenburg, owner of Popped!, shared why she believed her store placed in the Best of Kent.

“We make delicious handmade candies using the very best ingredients,” Rosenberg said. “We have a lot of fun doing it.”

Being located in downtown Kent gives many new, incoming Kent State students and their families a place to stop and pick up a quick treat, Rosenburg said.

“We get a lot of students that come in,” Rosenberg said.“It’s just a fun place to stop and bring the family, or if you’re just walking downtown to grab something a little sweet.”

THIRD: The Fruit Stand

Walking into The Fruit Stand you are immediately hit with an array of colorful decor and the smell of fresh fruit. As a place with smoothie bowls, oatmeal and toast options, this sweet place is a bit on the healthier side.

“A lot of people think that our smoothie bowls are like yogurt or ice cream, but it’s not, it’s fruit puree and coconut cream mixed together,” said Kristony Norman, the morning shift supervisor. “It is sweet just because there is sugar in it.”

Norman also said the stand is a popular spot for Kent State students since many Fruit Stand employees are students as well. And the trendiest item on the menu: the strawberry açai bowl.

“The whole point is to have the freshest fruit,” Norman said. “We get our fruit every single day so it’s as fresh as it possibly can be. … It’s like fast food but for fresh fruit.”

Mariah Alanskas is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].