One-of-a-Kind 'Cookie Cart' Debuts in Homecoming Parade

Full of milk and cookies and specially designed for Mason's Dining Services, the "Spunk Buggy" will begin roaming the Fairfax campus this semester. The cart debuted in last Saturday's homecoming parade. 
(Photo by Student Media Photography Manager Peter Flint)

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Unveiled in the “Unmasque Your Spirit” Homecoming Parade on Saturday was a new kind of treat wagon. A food cart that once stood idly in the back of SUB I was transformed into a mobile milk and cookie distributor called the “Spunk Buggy.”

Otis Spunkmeyer, the namesake and distributor of cookies baked and sold across various dining facilities, gave the cart a customized transformation to equip the old cart for cookies and milk.

“I could just see myself having a bad day and then seeing the cookie cart and all my worries are gone,” said art and visual technology major Britni Petersen.

Denise Ammaccapane, resident district manager of Mason Dining, said the “Spunk Buggy” is one of a kind and according to Otis Spunkmeyer, it is the first cookie cart at a college campus.

“I had approached Otis about doing a customized mobile,” said Ammaccapane. “They flew in the marketing people from California and Florida, took pictures and put the plan together.”

The “Spunk Buggy” made its first appearance on campus during the homecoming parade where Ammaccapane and other dining employees tossed cookies into the crowd. Once parked in Lot A, more cookies were given out with milk by the Patriot and the Cookie Monster.

“If it’s free, I’m all for it,” said senior global affairs major Sonia Abdulbaki. “And I definitely don’t mind eating cookies, but milk is too cold for this weather.”

After homecoming, the “Spunk Buggy” and dining team will go into developing a plan for distribution so the whole Mason campus gets to experience the cookie cart.

Cookie Monster was on site for the Spunk Buggy's debut. Photo by Peter Flint

“It makes me want to drive it,” said communication major Gary Cuesta. “I think it’s a good idea during something like finals . . . but people will be bum rushing the cart.”

Ammaccapane said that dining services plans to work with student groups that want to use it as a fundraiser, develop a cookie route and sell cookies late into the night at the dorms, as well as park it in various places around campus throughout the day and sell cookies and milk.

“I think it’s definitely a new innovation but I don’t know if it’s going to hold out with [Mason’s] students because they’ll probably be racing to Burger King or Starbucks,” said Abdulbaki “It’s also a little random. But if it’s for a cause, then that’s a different story.”.