Finding the White Space in
the C kie Category
O’ts crispy oatmeal cookies infused innovation in this area
By Alexandra Zendrian
O’ts oatmeal cookies each have one or several unique ingredients, for instance the Spicy Dark Chocolate cookies have Turkish Aleppo Pepper for a mild chili heat. The concept of adding spices from around the world came from the women’s love of travel; Nina has been to Italy, Mexico, France, England, Spain, Switzerland, Barbados, St. Barth, St. Martin, Martinique and Costa Rica while Anna has traveled to those locales and Holland, Israel, Russia, Singapore, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Latvia, Ukraine, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Greece, Turkey, Bahamas, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos and Antigua. The ingredients in O’ts cookies in some instances come from the places where the women have traveled. hile the grocery store cookie aisle may have a large number of occupants, to Nina Lombardo, founder and W chief executive officer of O’ts, it seemed like a lot of the same. Variety in this case meant vegan and gluten free, but there wasn’t a lot of innovation in flavors and textures. So, Nina and her business partner, Anna Kotler, O’ts head of strategy, explored the white space in the cookie category – interesting flavors. While it may seem like the ladies met travelling or otherwise, it was actually the Long Island Food Council that brought them together. Lombardo was previously Kotler’s consulting client but hadn’t met her in-person until one of their events. The company’s first and most popular cookie is its Sweet & Salty, which includes sea salt from Sicily. Lombardo visited the plant that it came from to ensure its quality. In the future, the dynamic duo are looking toward Asia with their spices.
Page 34 I HOSPITALITY NEWS JUNE
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