LEAWOOD, KS — Kansas City Chiefs fans have been prepping all week to make sure their Super Bowl LVII watch parties on Sunday, Feb. 12., are packed with salty snacks and sweets.
Tom and Jennifer Balsbaugh, owners of Leawood, KS-based Blue Chip Cookies, have the sweet side covered with Chiefs-themed cookies. They were one of the first bakeries in the area to customize the Andy Reid and KC Wolf sweet treats. Their unique and creative designs made the Chiefs repeat customers, which has led many local celebrities and athletes to their doorstep.
The company’s orders have been nonstop, especially with the excitement of Sunday ahead. However, Blue Chip encountered some challenges this year with the quick turnaround between the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day. The result of the game on Sunday will help decipher the quantity of Chiefs cookies needed versus the number of love-themed products created.
“It will be full-fledged Valentine’s the 13th and 14th, but if [the Chiefs] win, we will do Chief’s cookies until the summertime,” Jennifer said.
It’s safe to say the Blue Chip name is well known in the region — the bakery was recently named the favorite cookie for the Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals.
The duo purchased the store from its original owners in May 2014 with a mission to continue serving some of the most beloved cookies in the Kansas City area.
The Balsbaughs had their first taste of quickly fulfilling a large amount of unexpected orders during their second year of ownership, when the Royals played in the 2014 World Series. It was back-to-back watch parties and celebrating, which equaled lots of Royals themed cookies.
“The Royals actually ordered cookies from us,” Jennifer shared. “We did World Series cookies for them, and that got a lot of media coverage and we have grown from that.”
After seeing the market for Royals cookies, they ventured into designing Chiefs cookies.
One of the things that sets Blue Chip apart from its competition is that everything is baked the day of, which means there is no prepping any major orders the night before. Jennifer disclosed that this year, the team did an excellent job on knowing when to cut orders off so they could remain detail-oriented. With the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and Valentine’s holiday right after, it was important to create a balance to ensure the staff doesn’t get burned out.
With the popularity that comes from the major sports teams in KC, the bakery is always seeking out new designs to continue to separate themselves. They have two full-time decorators who get a lot of creative freedom when it comes to trying new icing designs.
Besides major sports events, the company occasionally receives mass orders from the local convention center, volleyball tournaments or other events held in and near Kansas City, such as the upcoming NFL draft set for April 27-29 at Union Station.
When major spur-of-the-moment events occur, it can be difficult for bakeries to accept orders due to lack of supplies. Jennifer said it is not typically stressful event for Blue Chip.
“Our supplier is pretty flexible,” she said. “We can get a second truck if we need to at the end of the week. But typically, we tend to keep fully stocked, just in case.”
With every bite consumed of a Blue Chip Cookie, there is a sense of love and hometown pride. From rolling to baking to icing, it’s no wonder why Blue Chip is hailed as one of KC’s favorite cookies.
