Debbi Fields was nervous as she unlocked the door at 6:00 AM. It was August 18, 1977 — the grand opening of her cookie store, Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chippery. Debbi turned on the ovens and began making batch after batch of cookies. Before long, she relaxed and found comfort in the familiar routine.

Three hours later, the display of Debbie’s new store was filled with cookies that were baked to perfection. They were warm, soft, and gooey — just the way she liked them. Now, all Debbi needed was some customers.

While Debbi waited, she started to get tired. She didn’t sleep last night because she started to panic and second guess her decision to open a cookie store. Before she left the house, her husband teased her and said he doubted she would make $50 on her first day of business. That was just the motivation that Debbi needed. She was determined to prove him wrong.

So she waited. And waited. A few people came into the store to check things out, but didn’t buy anything. By lunchtime, Debbi knew she needed to try something new. If she couldn’t sell her cookies soon, they wouldn’t be fresh enough and she would have to throw them all out and start over.

Rather than giving up, Debbi hit the streets. Since the customers weren’t coming to her, she decided to take her cookies to the customers. She was scared of rejection, but even more terrified of failure. And she believed so strongly in her product that she decided to give it away. Debbi went out into the sunshine and handed out free samples of cookies to everyone she encountered.

Before long, people found the store and bought some cookies. Her gamble had paid off! By the end of the day, Debbi added up her sales — she made $50! And she won the bet with her husband. But even more, she proved to herself that she could make her cookies into a profitable business.

Debbi went on to create an international cookie empire. By 1981, Mrs. Field’s Cookies had 14 stores. By 1990, the company had over 400 stores around the world. Debbi believed that everyone deserved to feel special, which was her guiding principle — from high quality ingredients to perfectly baked cookies to outstanding customer service. Debbi Fields had developed a recipe for success!

The Power of the Wand

Debbi Fields was an entrepreneur who turned her passion into a wildly successful business. Debbi was proud to be a woman in business and proved that anything is possible with perseverance and hard work. Today, teen girls like Eliana de Las Casas have also followed their dreams in the culinary world. Eliana was the 2016 Chopped Teen Grand Champion, then went on to start a spice company and publish a cookbook.

Her Yellow Brick Road

Debbi married Randy when she was 20 years old. Randy was an economist and worked long hours — his intellect was in high demand. Debbi was a homemaker and took some classes at the local community college. However, she never felt accepted by Randy’s friends.

Debbi was lonely and longed for more independence. She needed to create something and share it with the world. So she baked cookies. Randy loved her cookies and brought them to meetings with clients. And they disappeared in a flash. Soon clients were calling Debbi to let her know when they would be in town, hoping she would make cookies for their meeting.

Mrs. Field’s Chocolate Chippery in Palo Alto (mrs.fields.com)

Before long, she dreamed of opening a cookie store. But it hadn’t been done before. And no one around her thought it was a good idea. Her family discouraged her — they didn’t think she had the money, education or experience to start a business.

Randy did market research and concluded that Americans liked crispy cookies. He supported her, but didn’t think enough people would purchase her soft, gooey cookies to make a profit. But experience told her otherwise — everyone loved her cookies. Debbi believed in herself and her recipe.  And she was determined to open a cookie store.

Debbi developed a business plan and went from bank to bank, seeking a loan. She brought samples of her cookies to each meeting. The bankers ate all her cookies but refused her a loan.  Finally, she met with Ed Sullivan, a banker who loved her passion and was willing to take a chance. He offered her a loan at 21% interest (yikes, that’s higher than most credit cards!).

For Debbi, it was full steam ahead. And it took her about 2 months to pull everything together for her new cookie store. She looked for space and found a stall in Palo Alto (Liddicoats Market was being transformed into an arcade of shops). At 300 square feet, it was tiny but perfect. Then, she went in search of used restaurant equipment and quality ingredients in bulk.

The space was ready three weeks before the grand opening. It was time to do some baking! Debbi made batch after batch of cookies. She tested the commercial oven. She tested the ingredients. She did taste tests. And she perfected her recipes. She was ready!

Brains, Heart & Courage 

Debbi grew up as part of a working class family in East Oakland. She was the youngest of five daughters and spent most of her time trying to keep up with her sisters. They were competitive and teased her mercilessly, calling her the “dumb one.” She did daydream her way through school, but it still hurt Debbi’s feelings.

Debbi decided that her special contribution to the family was to make everyone happy, and she knew that cookies always brought a smile to people’s faces. So she baked a lot of cookies. Since money was tight, Debbi didn’t have access to proper baking ingredients such as chocolate and butter. But that didn’t stop her. She started baking cookies with lard and carob.

Debbi learned the value of hard work throughout her childhood. She got her first job at age 13 — she was a ballgirl for the Oakland A’s. Then, she worked at a department store when she was 15 years old. Management noticed her organization and dedication to customer service and promoted her in no time. Soon she was taking customer satisfaction surveys and managing holiday programs. And she basked in the positive feedback of a job well done.

The first thing Debbi bought with her paycheck was quality cookie ingredients — real butter, real chocolate, and real vanilla extract. She initially followed the Tollhouse cookie recipe that was printed on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag. Then, she started to experiment. Debbi tweaked her chocolate chip recipe, little by little, until she had perfection.

By high school, Debbi was known for her cookies throughout the neighborhood. She loved to give them to friends and family and see the joy in their faces. They were delicious — rich, soft, and filled with chocolate. Before long, Debbi had developed her own secret recipe. And her family was enthusiastic. It was her way to shine.

Debbi had no interest in going to college — she wanted to be a ski bum. She moved to Lake Tahoe, but couldn’t make ends meet and moved home. Then, she went to Colorado to look for a job. She was sitting in the Denver airport when she struck up a conversation with a man named Randall Fields. He was older than she, but interesting to talk with, so she gave him her telephone number. Little did she know that he would become her husband.

Glinda’s Gallery

Just the Facts

• Debra Sivyer was born on September 18, 1956. Her dad was a welder for the US Navy. 
• Debbi married Randall Fields in 1976 and they had 5 daughters. Debbi and Randy divorced in 1996 and she married Michael Rose in 1998.
• Debbi started Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery in 1977. She changed the name to Mrs. Fields Cookies in 1980. 
• In 1982, she moved the headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah. 
• In 1986, Debbi established Mrs. Fields Children’s Health Foundation, which focused on childhood diseases such as cystic fibrosis. 
• In 1990, Mrs. Fields Cookies partnered with Marriott Corporation to operate franchises worldwide. 
• In 1992, Debbi sold Mrs. Fields Cookies for $100 million to Famous Brands International. She remained involved in the business until 2000. 
• Debbi is the author of 3 cookbooks: Mrs. Fields Cookie Book: 100 Recipes from the Kitchen of Mrs. Fields, I Love Chocolate, and Great American Desserts. She also published her autobiography, One Smart Cookie: How a Housewife’s Chocolate Chip Recipe Turned into a Multimillion-dollar Business, in 1987. 
• Debbi hosted television shows on both the Food Network and PBS Television — Desserts with Debbi Fields was on Food Network from 1993-1995 and Debbie Fields’ Great American Desserts was on public television in 1996. 
• Debbi was inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2003. She also received the Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters. 
• Today, Debbi lives in Tennessee and is involved in a number of charitable organizations. 

Want to Know More?