Scout’s Honor: The Cookies Are Crumbling Around Rogers Park

Girl Scout Cookie season is back and better than ever. This year’s lineup features timeless classics like Do-si-dos (or Peanut Butter Sandwiches) and Samoas (or Caramel deLites), as well as newer cookies like Raspberry Rallies and Adverturefuls.

With such a wide variety of delicious flavors, there’s no way to go wrong. There’s Girl Scout S’mores, which contain all the nostalgia of camping trips past. There’s also Lemonades, which are reminiscent of childhood lemonade stands, and French toast-flavored Toast-Yay!s, which are sure to be a favorite of breakfast enthusiasts.

There are even vegan options such as Tagalongs (or Peanut Butter Patties) and Thin Mints, with gluten free options such as Toffee-tastic and Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies.

Girl Scout cookies have been around for over a hundred years, according to the Girl Scouts website. Some of the first Girl Scouts began baking cookies to sell in schools in order to fund troop activities in the 1910s, and by the 1920s, sales had gone nationwide.

After a brief pause in sales due to food shortages caused by World War II, cookie sales increased throughout the 1940s and ‘50s due to the rising number of suburban shopping malls, which proved to be effective places to sell cookies. By the 1980s, cult favorites like Thin Mints, Do-si-dos and Trefoils had been officially added to the Girl Scout cookie roster.

Today, due to the many in-person and online cookie ordering options implemented throughout the 2010s and 2020s, supporting these vest-sporting, patch-earning young entrepreneurs has never been easier.

Beginning Monday, Feb. 27, cookies will be available to order online using the Cookie Finder tool, which allows buyers to directly support their local troops. Ordering online requires a minimum purchase of four boxes, with the promise cookies will be delivered within 15 business days or fewer.

For those looking to buy cookies in-person, simply visit the Girl Scouts website to find the most conveniently located booth or text “Cookies” to 59618 to get more information on how to purchase cookies.

All proceeds go directly to local Girl Scout troops to fund projects and activities. For Loyola students, there are numerous troops based in the Rogers Park area to support. To find specific troops, use the Girl Scout website’s troop search feature.

Troop 26280 consists of 11 kindergarteners and first graders and is associated with Sacred Heart Schools, which are located just down the street from Loyola. Troop 26913 consists of 22 first, second and fourth graders and is associated with Northside Catholic Academy, which is located at the intersection of West Granville Avenue and North Glenwood Avenue.

There are 15 other Girl Scout troops located within a mile of Loyola and hundreds more within Chicago. With this many troops, there’s no shortage of cookie vendors, so it won’t be hard to spot the brown, blue and green vests in the coming weeks as booths are set up in the area.

According to the Cookie Finder, a booth will be set up at Lady Gregory’s Irish Bar and Restaurant (5260 N. Clark St.) on Saturday, Feb. 25 and Sunday, Feb. 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. Booths will also be set up at Jewel Osco (5343 N. Broadway) on Saturday, Feb. 25 and Sunday, Feb. 26 from 11 to 3 p.m., as well as Sandbox Baby Boutique (5349 N. Clark St.) on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 12 to 2 p.m.

Booths will also be set up at numerous other locations throughout the coming weeks, such as Honeybear Cafe (7036 N. Clark St.), R Public House (1508 W. Jarvis Ave.) and Pet Supplies Plus (3757 N. Lincoln Ave.).

While no official end date for the 2023 cookie-selling season has been announced, sales typically end in April, so there’s still plenty of time to decide what flavors to try — and how many boxes to buy.

Featured image courtesy of Hanna Houser