How the Mrs. Fields Cookie Brand Grew Into a Global Franchise
Franchising, once dominated by men, is now being shaped by women at every level. From franchisees and franchisors to brokers and C-suite executives, women are not only making their mark but also paving the way for others to follow. Female influence is transforming franchising and inspiring a new generation of leaders.
One of those trailblazing women is Debbi Fields, the founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies. The beloved cookie brand has delighted customers for almost 50 years with its signature cookie assortments, and its product lines have expanded to include brownies, cakes, berries, and more.
Humble Beginnings
Fields was born on Sept. 18, 1956 and grew up in East Oakland, Calif., as the fifth of five daughters. Her father made only $15,000 a year as a welder for the U.S. Navy and her mother stayed at home with her and her sisters, but Fields says that she grew up wealthy in family and love.
Fields was a child when she started baking cookies. She used lard and carob because the family couldn’t afford real butter. From that moment on, she was hooked! Hardworking from a young age, Fields landed her first job as a ball girl for the Oakland A’s when she was 13. She spent her first paycheck on genuine chocolate, butter and vanilla to make cookies. (Fun fact: She was paid $5 an hour and instituted a “milk-and-cookies” break for the umpires.)
Fields was popular in high school and was named homecoming queen in her senior year. She then attended community college for two years before marrying her first husband Randall Keith Fields, with whom she had five daughters.
Fields has often told a story of a pivotal moment in her life. She and her husband, a Stanford University graduate who founded an economic and financial consulting firm, were with one of his clients who asked Fields what she did for a living. She remembers saying, “I’m just trying to get orientated.”
She recalls that the client got up, pulled an enormous, leather-bound dictionary off the shelf, put it in her lap and said, “The word is oriented. If you can’t speak the English language, you shouldn’t speak at all.”
With tears streaming down her cheeks, she remembers deciding then that she wanted to be somebody who follows her passion. And that passion was cookies.
From Home Baker to Entrepreneur
Fields resolved to start her own business. Despite the naysaying from family and friends, she went to banks – cookies in hand – and ultimately got a loan after multiple rejections. The first Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chippery opened in Palo Alto, Calif., in 1977. Even though she did all the work to open the business, her husband brought her down to earth by betting that she wouldn’t make $50 that first day.
After hours with no customers, Fields did what any scrappy entrepreneur would do – she went outside and gave passersby free samples. By the end of the day, she earned $75 and gained a whole new understanding of the work it takes to run a business.
She later changed the business name to Mrs. Fields Cookies and expanded it to 14 locations by 1981. Within a decade, the cookie concept had 400 stores around the world. Fields entered into a licensing agreement with the Marriott Corporation in 1990, and in 1992, she sold the corporation to Famous Brands International for $100 million. She stayed involved in the company until 2000.
After her first marriage ended in divorce, Fields remarried and now lives in Nashville, Tenn. Today, Mrs. Fields Cookies sells its tasty treats at 300-plus franchised retail locations globally.
Fields’ Legacy
Beyond her cookie business, Fields has authored multiple cookbooks and an autobiography. She has also hosted television shows on the Food Network and PBS Television, including “Desserts with Debbi Fields” and “Debbie Fields’ Great American Desserts.”
Fields never kept all of her success to herself, establishing the Mrs. Fields Children’s Health Foundation to help fund research into diseases such as cystic fibrosis.
The Debbi Fields story is inspirational for both women and men alike. Her determination and resilience are admirable; entrepreneurs from all backgrounds can learn something valuable from her.
