What A Cookie Malta: Inside the Sold-Out Sliema Cookie Shop

In short

• What A Cookie is a cookie shop in Sliema, Malta, founded by French e-commerce entrepreneurs Maxence and Emy.
• It opened in February 2026 and had a queue on day one, with no ads or social media presence.
• Finding the right commercial property took more than eight months, and street rents reach €200 to €300 a day, according to the founders.
• A 120g cookie costs €4.90, made with imported ingredients and without margarine.

What A Cookie Malta began with two founders who had spent years building e-commerce businesses without ever meeting a customer. In this interview, recorded at CastMe, our podcast studio in Malta, Maxence and Emy explain why they closed their laptops to open a bakery, and what it really took to get there.

From e-commerce to cookies: why they made the switch

It started with a craving. Emy could not find a cookie in Malta that met her standards, to the point of flying to London or Bangkok when she wanted a good one. Maxence was quickly convinced, and the idea passed the test they had learned to apply online:

• Healthy margins for the food industry.
• Low competition: they counted a single cookie competitor in Malta when they began.
• One product: no 50-dish menu, just one product made in different flavours.

Emy also raised a frustration many female founders will recognise: banks, accountants and event organisers often address Maxence first, assuming she only handles social media. “People don’t think What A Cookie is my brand. They think it’s the brand of Max,” she says in the episode. For both of them, the business works because each partner covers the other’s weaknesses.

How to open a food business in Malta: the real timeline

The founders thought about the idea for around two years. Once they committed, setting up the company took about six months, the recipes about eight months, and finding the right commercial property more than eight months. Their route to a shop was anything but straight:

• Dark kitchen: their first plan, abandoned because they could not find one in Malta.
• Home kitchen: ruled out when their landlord refused. Malta’s food regulator publishes specific rules for home food production, including registration before starting.
• A 1930s bakery outside the central area: the deal fell through on the day they were due to sign, and they now see that as luck, because a takeaway brand needs footfall.
• Central Sliema: the final choice, after weeks of negotiation.

Licensing was the other surprise. Each commercial property comes with its own permitted use, and changing it means applying to the Planning Authority and meeting requirements for equipment such as extraction. Businesses selling food or drink for consumption also need a catering establishment licence.

How much is rent for a shop in Sliema?

According to the founders, rent on their pedestrian street in Sliema averages €200 to €300 a day. At around €5 a cookie, that means selling dozens of cookies every day just to cover the rent, before staff, ingredients or VAT. After weeks of negotiation, they say they secured one of the cheapest rates on the street per square metre.

Why does a What A Cookie cost €4.90?

The average cookie weighs around 70g, according to the founders. Theirs weighs 120g, with ingredients imported from countries including France, Japan and Belgium. “If you want a good product with good ingredients, you need to pay the price,” they argue. The recipes took eight months because, rather than one dough with different toppings, the flavours are built on different bases, from the crunchy OG to a chewier Dubai chocolate.

They also refuse to use margarine, which they call the biggest mistake in Malta’s dessert industry. As they put it: “We are not here to compete on the price.”

A queue on day one, and a very orange brand

What A Cookie opened in February 2026 with no ads, no videos and no social media, and still had a queue outside on day one. The founders credit a deliberate choice of branding: a bright orange that reflects Maxence’s taste, paired with a Japanese-inspired kawaii logo that comes from Emy.

The same orange runs through their banners and product images on delivery apps, including their Wolt page. A few months after launch, they say, Wolt and Bolt Food told them it was one of the best launches they had seen in Malta.

Listening to customers, down to the opening hours

In the early months the pair opened from 7am to midnight, seven days a week. They gradually moved their hours later, settled on 1pm to 7pm, then had to rethink again when Malta’s summer heat emptied the street.

“Our brand belongs to our customers,” they say. Flavours and opening hours are put to their community through polls and direct messages, while vlogs from behind the counter bring followers into the daily life of the shop. Email, SMS, limited offers and a loyalty programme keep What A Cookie top of mind, because a sweet treat is never a planned meal.

What’s next for What A Cookie

When the episode was recorded, six months after opening, the founders were still running the shop themselves and working around 17 hours a day. They had found a second location, on hold until they could recruit a team, and were watching the number of cookie shops in Malta climb from one competitor to more than eight.

Their longer-term plan is international growth through franchising. To apply for a job or ask about a franchise, write to hello@what-a-cookie.com or follow What A Cookie on Instagram.

About the guests

Maxence and Emy are the French founders of What A Cookie. They worked together for about four years in e-commerce, SEO and Google Ads before opening their shop in Sliema. They were interviewed by Thomas Giraud, co-founder of CastMe.

Key moments from the interview

• 00:59 From e-commerce to cookies
• 03:21 Being a woman founder in Malta
• 04:38 The checklist: margin, competition, one product
• 07:08 Recipes, licences and commercial property
• 13:10 The real cost of rent in Sliema
• 14:15 Why a €5 cookie
• 17:24 Launch day
• 18:42 How branding made the shop stand out
• 21:28 Launching on Wolt and Bolt
• 25:47 Doing business in Malta vs France
• 39:03 Retention: loyalty, email and SMS
• 44:06 The margarine problem

FAQ about What A Cookie Malta

Who founded What A Cookie?

What A Cookie was founded by Maxence and Emy, two French entrepreneurs with a background in e-commerce who have lived in Malta for more than five years.

Where is What A Cookie in Malta?

The shop is in central Sliema. Check its Instagram for current opening hours.

How much does a What A Cookie cost?

At the time of the interview, a 120g cookie cost €4.90.

Is What A Cookie available as a franchise?

Yes, the founders are open to franchise enquiries in Malta and across Europe at hello@what-a-cookie.com.

Have a story worth telling?

This episode was recorded and edited at CastMe in Sliema. Discover podcasts and videos recorded in our studio, read where to record your next episode in Malta, then book a recording session by the hour or choose our full production service.