Kids Rejoice! Harris Teeter Is Finally Bringing Back Free Cookies

Supermarket chain Harris Teeter has, at last, brought its beloved free sugar cookies back to stores with the help of its mascot, Harry the Happy Dragon. The announcement, made in a quirky video posted to the chain's Instagram on January 10, shows Harry reading countless letters from children calling for the cookies' return. The free treats had long been offered to shoppers before COVID-19 requirements put an end to the practice. In response to the letters, Harry hops to the kitchen where the dragon gathers some quintessential cookie ingredients — flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, and vanilla — and gets to work before hand-delivering a box of cookies to the Harris Teeter bakery counter. "The cookies are back," a little kid whispers to the camera.

"Harry the Happy Dragon's free cookies were removed from Harris Teeter stores out of caution during the pandemic," a representative from Harris Teeter told Mashed. "We are so excited to bring them back for children and children-at-heart to enjoy for years to come."

Introduced in 1992, Harry the Happy Dragon was Harris Teeter's attempt to make the grocery store a more pleasant place for children and their parents. Donning a warm smile and a baker's hat, an image of the plush green dragon was posted up at Harris Teeter bakery counters, alongside a box of free sugar cookies offered to "kids of all ages." It's not hard to see why so many on Instagram responded with excitement to the recent news.

Scoring a free cookie from Harry quickly became a beloved family tradition for many, but it all came to a screeching halt during the pandemic. Shoppers were none too pleased about the change, with some even starting online petitions calling for the cookies' return. "I think I can speak for everyone who signed this petition," one person wrote in a comment on iPetition. "We want these cookies back to relive childhood!!!"

Finally, the public's calls have been answered. The free sugar cookies are, once again, available at Harris Teeter locations nationwide. It's tough to say who's more excited for this update — children or their parents. Fortunately, the young-at-heart are also encouraged to indulge. "Kids and I are on the way," one customer wrote on Harris Teeter's Facebook.