Pennsylvania voters have spoken, and a new “Coolest Thing Made in PA” has been chosen! Yesterday at 4 p.m., the Eat’n Park Smiley Cookie – an iconic bakery item originating in Titusville, PA, and served at Pittsburgh-based Eat’n Park restaurants – narrowly defeated Denim Coffee, a small-batch brewer based out of Shippensburg, PA, in the competition’s championship round to take home the 2026 “Coolest Thing Made in PA” title.
“From our public bracket launch in mid-March to the fun and engaging ways this year’s contestants turned out the vote, this year’s contest was an incredible showcase of Pennsylvania’s excellence in manufacturing and brand loyalty,” said PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein. “At the end, the championship round was down to the wire – the Smiley Cookie took the title with just 16 votes! It just goes to show how passionate brand lovers are and why we always look forward to the ‘Coolest Thing Made in PA’ competition – there are so many amazing products made here and beloved across the Commonwealth, the nation, and worldwide. Congratulations to Eat’n Park on their well-deserved victory!”
The Eat’n Park Smiley Cookie was introduced in 1986 by Eat’n Park’s former CEO and Chairman, Jim Broadhurst, and in the four decades since its creation, the Smiley Cookie has become a symbol of comfort, nostalgia, and Pennsylvania-made quality. More information about the cookie’s history and ordering options can be found at www.smileycookie.com.
This year’s “Coolest Thing Made in PA” contest generated more than 40,000 votes via the PA Chamber’s social media networks, amassed hundreds of thousands of social media impressions, and dozens of earned media stories statewide.
The competition featured 56 PA-made products representing a wide range of industries and every region of the Commonwealth. Nominees were matched head-to-head in a bracket-style format that paid homage to America250, honoring Pennsylvania’s role in our nation’s founding. More information about this year’s contest can be found at www.pachamber.org/coolestthing.
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The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state’s largest broad-based business association, with its statewide membership comprising businesses of all sizes and across all industry sectors. The PA Chamber is The Statewide Voice of BusinessTM.