Time is running out for Vienna residents to grab a giant cookie from MidnighTreats without having to leave town or pay a shipping fee.
The bakery at 167 Glyndon Street SE will close for good after this Saturday (Sept. 7), less than two years after opening in owner and founder Johnny Nguyen’s hometown. MidnighTreats announced the closure last Friday (Aug. 30) in an email to members of its rewards program.
“We’ve enjoyed our two years here and greatly appreciate all your support!” the business said.
Nguyen started MidnighTreats in 2018, baking and delivering hefty, vegan cookies from his mother’s house in Vienna. The business later moved to a commercial kitchen in Chantilly before opening its first storefront in Reston’s Plaza America on May 27, 2022.
The bakery expanded to Vienna in December of that year and Alexandria in August 2023. Since opening in Vienna, however, MidnighTreats has tweaked its approach to determining where to locate retail stores, Nguyen told FFXnow.
“Our retail location strategy has changed since 2022 and we’re now prioritizing high foot traffic centers,” he said. “Since the store was previously a bakery and didn’t require a build-out to open, we had the flexibility to operate here short term.”
On the same day that the Vienna shop serves its final customers, a new location will open in Arlington at the Ballston Quarter food hall (4238 Wilson Blvd). That timing wasn’t coincidental, according to Nguyen, who says they wanted “to ensure no team member will be out of a job.”
Some workers at the Vienna store are part-time students who will return to school, while others will be transferred to another MidnighTreats location.
News of the impending closure quickly spread through the popular Vienna Foodies Facebook group, where posters lamented the loss of a store they cherished for its creative cookie flavors and friendliness to people with food allergies.
Acknowledging the community support, Nguyen expressed confidence that MidnighTreats will return to Vienna in the future.
“Keep being awesome!” Nguyen said by email. “The Vienna Foodies were always supportive and I started the business/grew up in Vienna so I have a lot of love for it and I’m sure we’ll be back!”
In the meantime, MidnighTreats continues to deliver through DoorDash, and it offers nationwide shipping.
Vienna will still have one large-cookie spot in the form of Crumbl Cookies, which can be found a shopping center over at 203 Maple Avenue East.
