Hulu’s murder mystery Only Murders in the Building is back for a third season, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez and… Schmackary’s cookies!
The neighborhood’s (and Broadway’s) favorite sweet treat took center stage in the opening episode of the new season, which also has Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep as guest stars — and it’s Rudd who makes Schmackary’s the star of the show. Oliver (played by Martin Short) is hosting a read-through for his Broadway comeback when Rudd, whose character, Ben, is on a strict diet, spots the tempting plateful.
He asks where they’re from, and when he’s told Schmackary’s, says: “God, even the name is sexy,” eventually succumbing to their sugar-coated charms. The flavors shown on camera are up for debate, but appear to be chocolate chip, funfetti, and cookies & cream.
“My jaw just hit the floor when I saw that,” said Schmackary’s owner Zachary Schmahl. “I was not expecting it, and the fact that everyone from the show was in the room when that happened, my husband and I just looked at each other, screaming.”
But how did the Broadway easter egg make it to the screen? Zachary explained that one of the writers for Only Murders in the Building used to be on Broadway, and mentioned Schmackary’s when the writing team was looking for things synonymous with the center of the theater world.
“It’s really just amazing,” said Zachary. “We’ve been working so hard all these years. We’ve kept such close ties with Broadway and it was so fun how it went full circle because we kind of took over Broadway and now we’re going to the small screen. It’s just so cool how it all worked out so we’re super excited to be a part of it.”
Schmackary’s began in Zachary’s Hell’s Kitchen apartment before opening at 363 W45th Street in May 2012. He had arrived in the neighborhood with aspirations of becoming an actor — until his baking hobby took over.
Zachary made connections on Broadway through his cookies and started working with the Actors Fund (now the Entertainment Community Fund). “I came up with this idea to do a charity based around Broadway and we had Broadway stars working behind our counter raising money for charity. Through that is how we really became the Official Cookie of Broadway, which is just so amazing. When I was younger I always wanted to make it on Broadway and through the cookie business that’s how I did it,” he said.
Schmackary’s takes pride in both serving and representing the Hell’s Kitchen community. The appearance in Only Murders in the Building is testament to how synonymous the cookie shop has become with the neighborhood.
“That’s a badge and a banner that I take super seriously. We have always tried to be an outstanding business in the local community,” said Zachary. “I know we have great cookies, but the thing I want to set us apart is for this store to feel like a home away from home for so many people — and for anybody to feel welcome and represented.
“That’s all I ever wanted. We’re so big on building community and creating something special for people and it’s just awesome to have people see that and want to include us in really cool projects,” he added.
Schmackary’s recently announced they are expanding nationwide — as for any more possible future appearances, Zachary says “Stay tuned.”