
If you're the most popular food vendor at the Minnesota State Fair, you're going to need a lot of people behind the counter.
It all began in 1979, when selling cookies at the Minnesota State Fair was nonexistent. Now, there are three Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar stands including one next to the WCCO radio building.
Sweet Martha Olson says they have 730 people to work the 12 days of the fair and they crank out three-million cookies a day.
“When those people come in, and they’re so excited, it’s just fun to see,” Sweet Martha told WCCO’s Vineeta Sawkar on the Morning News. “They’re all ready to go and get their new t-shirts, so we’re really excited about the crew we’ll have this year.”
The hiring process began way back in February, when veteran cookie makers are asked if they want to come back for another year. And they still have a few spots open for new team members.
“Our great hiring person starts in February getting back to all the people who have worked for us before and starts signing people up,” Martha says. “So we’re about 95% of the way of our goal.”
Figures show Sweet Martha's is always the top-selling vendor at the Minnesota State Fair. All you have to do is see the lines of people getting their cookie buckets to know that's absolutely true.