Mrs. Fields gets a makeover

Clara was being good.

The 3-year-old had just left a mall photo studio with her dad, Craig Orr. He told his daughter she had earned a treat, and just then she spotted a sweets shop that glowed red. She pointed. Dad willingly complied, and a Mrs. Fields cookie was soon in Clara’s tiny hand.

That’s just the way Mrs. Fields likes it to happen.

About to turn 30 next year and its parent company coming off a year of profit losses, the business known internationally for its chocolate chip cookies and other treats is being made over. It’s starting at this suburban Cleveland store inside the Westfield Great Northern shopping mall, where walls have been painted red, lighting softened and the menu revamped to include gourmet coffees.

“Obviously the color red is very appealing. The lighting is nice. It’s a very modern look,” said Orr, glancing at the freshly remodeled store with a name in big white letters out front that Clara is too young to read but are familiar to older generations.

The store was chosen as the model for the Salt Lake City-based chain’s redesign because it was planning to move to another location in the mall anyway. Mrs. Fields officials say how many of its 503 stores will be redesigned, and when, depends on the response to this one in Ohio.

“I think the single biggest difference is warmth of the experience,” said Leslie Snavely, brand manager for Mrs. Fields. “We want our customers to say, ‘I deserve this. I want this.’ “

The change already appears to be paying off. Since Sept. 7, the remade Ohio location has seen about 60 percent better sales than in early September a year ago, said Jim Bird, franchise operations director for Pacific Hospitality, based in Santa Ana, Calif., the franchisee that oversees the North Olmsted store and 26 others Mrs. Fields shops, mostly on the West Coast.

While there have been changes, much has stayed the same: Mrs. Fields is still stuck on decadent cookies and brownies and the business remains walk-up, with treats displayed in glass cases.

The store used to have more white mixed with red accents, and the redesign came with a wider display case to fit more products and lighted signs to better display options for snacks, drinks or gift packages.

Mrs. Fields is also expanding its drinks menu, with smoothies as well as specialty coffees. Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s and Burger King have similarly introduced high-end coffees.

The store also has some new sweets to go with its new look, including new brownie flavors.