Dec. 10, 2019

The scent of freshly baked cookies is in the air at The Empire Mall.

Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip opened today, bringing baked treats and more to its space near the Sanford Children’s Play Area.

The franchise is owned by Micah and Lindsey Schliemann, who started pursuing the concept after watching an episode of “Undercover Boss” featuring the company’s CEO.

“A dream of mine has been to own my own business, and it was trying to find something that would fit in Sioux Falls that we don’t have a ton of. I thought it needed variety,” said Lindsey Schliemann, who most recently worked in leasing for a trucking company.

“I love the cafes at Mall of America, and at the end (of the ‘Undercover Boss’ episode), it said ‘franchise opportunity.’ We looked at each other, and the rest is history.”

They looked at doing a streetside location but decided the mall was a better fit for a first location, she said.

“The staff here has been amazing for us. They’ve welcomed us with open arms, and we like the environment,” Schliemann said. “Most of the cafes are mall-based — that’s how the concept is structured — and I felt like it was a really good way to start and get our feet wet.”

Shoppers began lining up as soon as the cafe opened.

In addition to several varieties of cookies, the baked goods case includes slices of cookie cake, brownies, cookie cups, cookie sandwiches and coconut macaroons.

The menu also includes a dozen flavors of Edy’s ice cream, sundaes, shakes, cookie cakes and fruit smoothies.

Lunch options include panini sandwiches, flatbreads, wraps and crepes.

The cafe is mostly staffed but looking to hire a couple more people.

Nestle Toll House Cafe joins 140 other retailers at The Empire Mall. Schliemann said the hope is to have at least two locations in Sioux Falls eventually.

“We want to kick it off here but would definitely love a second location on the east side, more of a streetside where it’s a walk-in location.”