Elite Dough Cookies Is Opening a Brick-and-Mortar Shop in the Former Cookies by Design Space in Needham

The person behind a local food truck that sells cookies is opening a permanent shop in the western suburbs of Boston.

According to a couple of sources, Kai Moreto is planning to open Elite Dough Cookies in Needham, moving into the former Cookies by Design space on Highland Avenue in Needham Heights (which Moreto also ran). An earlier Needham Local article mentioned that Moreto will also be keeping his food truck in operation, while the store will be offering the same "jumbo cookies" offered by the truck.

The address for Elite Dough Cookies in Needham is 54 Highland Avenue, Needham Heights, MA, 02494. Its website can be found at https://elitedoughcookies.com/

[March 11, 2026 update: A post from @jeremyk.bsky.social on Bluesky mentions that Elite Dough Cookies is now open in Needham.]

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Chip City Opens in Boston's Back Bay

Early last year, it was reported that a cookie chain based in New York City would be opening a location in the Back Bay of Boston, and now we have learned that it has debuted.

According to a press release, Chip City is now open by the corner of Newbury Street and Hereford Street, joining others in the West End, Cambridge's Harvard Square, and Arsenal Yards in Watertown. The new shop offers a rotating list of cookies, including a core list along with specials.

When the Back Bay location was first announced in March of 2023, the West End and Arsenal Yards outlets were also mentioned, but it wasn't known at the time which of the Boston-area locations would open first.

The address for the new location of Chip City in the Back Bay is 316 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02115. The website for the chain is at https://www.chipcitycookies.com/

[Earlier Article]
Chip City to Expand to Boston, Opening a Shop in the Back Bay

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Levain Bakery Is Opening in Boston's Seaport District

A group of bakeries based in New York City will be opening its second location in Boston, and this one will be along the waterfront.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Levain Bakery is planning to open in the city's Seaport District, with Caught in Southie mentioning that it will move into a space on Seaport Boulevard. Once it opens, it will join another on Newbury Street in the Back Bay and it will feature extra-large six-ounce cookies.

Levain Bakery first started out in the mid-1990s on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. 

The address for the new location of Levain Bakery in the Seaport District is 107 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02210. The website for the business is at https://levainbakery.com/

[November 22 update: According to a press release, the Seaport District location of Levain Bakery opens today.]

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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The Half Cookie Is Opening at The Street Chestnut Hill

A bakery business that features cookies--and which has had a pop-up along the Boston waterfront--will be opening its very own brick-and-mortar shop a few miles west of the city.

According to a press release, The Half Cookie is planning to open at The Street Chestnut Hill, offering cookies for grab-and-go and via catering starting on May 9. In addition to its pop-up at The Current in the Seaport District, The Half Cookie has also been selling its products at such places as the Charles River Speedway in Brighton and the SoWa Open Market in the South End along with online orders through its website.

The website for The Half Cookie can be found at https://thehalfcookie.com/ while its Instagram page is at https://www.instagram.com/thehalfcookie/

[June 12 update: According to an Instagram post from the place, The Half Cookie is now open at The Street Chestnut Hill.]

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Chip City Is Opening in Cambridge's Harvard Square

A cookie chain that is based in New York City is expanding further into the Greater Boston area, with a new location on its way to Cambridge.

According to an article in The Harvard Crimson, Chip City is planning to open in Harvard Square, joining three others locally in Boston's West End and Arsenal Yards in Watertown along with another in the works in the Back Bay. It looks like the new outlet will open in July, and based on the other locations, expect to see a rotating list of cookie options, including chocolate chip, cookies and cream, cannoli, dark chocolate peanut butter, confetti, and more.

Chip City got its start in Queens back in 2017.

The address for the new location of Chip City in Harvard Square is 1 Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the company can be found at https://order.chipcitycookies.com/

Thanks to Adam of Universal Hub for bringing this to our attention.

[September 16 update: According to a press release, Chip City is now open in Harvard Square.]

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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The Cookie Monstah Plans to Open in Newtonville

It looks like a local business that is known in part for its ice cream sandwiches may be opening another outlet, with this one being in the western suburbs of Boston.

According to a source, The Cookie Monstah is planning to open at the Trio Newton mixed-use development at the corner of Walnut Street and Washington Street in Newtonville, with a post within the Newton Real Estate Forum Facebook group page mentioning that a lease has been signed for the new location. Once it opens, the new shop will join others in Beverly, Burlington, Danvers, Needham, North Andover, and Swampscott.

The website for The Cookie Monstah can be found at https://www.thecookiemonstah.com/

NOTE: We need your help, as Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is dealing with health issues and some major related expenses. Please donate at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

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[More restaurant openings/closings from the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Chip City to Expand to Boston, Opening a Shop in the Back Bay

A cookie chain that is based in New York City is on its way to Boston.

Eater Boston is reporting that Chip City is planning to open a shop in the Back Bay, moving into a space by the corner of Newbury Street and Hereford Street. The website for the business mentions that its shops offer a rotating list of 18 types of cookies and that they are "hand crafted and created to satisfy your tastebuds, be gooey as possible and warm your hearts (and bellies.)," while Eater says that other outlets of the chain are slated to open in Boston's West End and at Arsenal Yards in Watertown later this year (an opening date has not yet been given for the Back Bay location).

Chip City was established in Queens in 2017 and currently has shops in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Long Island, and New Jersey.

The address for the upcoming Chip City in the Back Bay is 316 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02115. The website for the chain is at https://www.chipcitycookies.com/

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Insomnia Cookies Plans to Open in Boston's Back Bay

A growing chain of cookie shops with roots in Philadelphia plans to open its fourth Boston-area location--and its third within the city itself. 

According to an article from Universal Hub, Insomnia Cookies is looking to open in the Back Bay, moving into a space on Clarendon Street between Newbury Street and Boylston Street. The proposed storefront would be geared more toward delivery than takeout/pickup and it is looking to be open until midnight; if approved, it would join other locations of Insomnia in downtown Boston, by Boston University, and in Cambridge's Harvard Square along with outlets in Amherst and Worcester and more than 200 others across the country.

The address for the proposed location of Insomnia Cookies in the Back Bay is 222 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for the company is at https://insomniacookies.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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NOTE: Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is currently dealing with health issues and needs your help. Please donate if you can at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

Levain Bakery Is Opening in Boston's Back Bay

A couple of years ago, it was reported that a beloved group of bakeries based in New York City was looking to expand to the Boston area. Now we have learned where its first location will be.

Eater Boston is reporting that Levain Bakery is opening a shop in the city's Back Bay neighborhood, with the address given for the Newbury Street outlet indicating that it will be near Copley Square. The article mentions that the new store will offer extra-large six-ounce cookies (including dark chocolate peanut butter chip, oatmeal raisin, and chocolate chip walnut) along with such items as loaf cakes, cinnamon butter brioche, breads, hot chocolate, and coffee. If all goes as planned, the new location of Levain Bakery will open in the early part of 2022.

Levain Bakery, which got its start in 1996, has been featured in a number of books and on TV, including a chocolate chip cookie throwdown with Bobby Flay in which the celebrity chef lost to owners Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald. Currently, seven locations can be found in New York City and on Long Island and two others in the Washington, DC area.

The address for the new location of Levain Bakery in the Back Bay is 180 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for the business is at https://levainbakery.com/

[February 16, 2022 update: According to a press release, Levain Bakery opens in the Back Bay on Saturday, February 19.]

[Earlier Article]
Levain Bakery May Be Coming to Boston

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Top Shelf Cookies Is Opening a Retail Shop in the Adams Village Section of Dorchester

A local cookie company that has been operating out of a shared commercial kitchen facility will soon have its very own retail store.

According to an article from Caught in Dot, Top Shelf Cookies is moving into the former Windy City Pizza space in Dorchester's Adams Village neighborhood, with the shop offering such items as baked cookies, ice cream cookie sandwiches, cookie frappes, and more. Owner Heather Yunger established the business in 2014 and has been working from the CommonWealth Kitchen space in the Grove Hall section of Boston along with a number of other businesses. If all goes as planned, the Top Shelf Cookies shop will open late this fall.

Windy City Pizza moved from Gallivan Boulevard to Morrissey Boulevard last year; another location can be found in North Quincy.

The address for the new Top Shelf Cookies store in Adams Village is 516 Gallivan Boulevard, Dorchester, MA, 02124. Its website can be found at https://topshelfcookies.com/

[April 23, 2021 update: Based on multiple posts on social media, the Top Shelf Cookies shop is now open in Adams Village.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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The Cookie Monstah Opens in Swampscott

A local business that sells ice cream sandwiches from a pair of bake shops as well as from a food truck has expanded to a third brick-and-mortar location.

According to a source, The Cookie Monstah is now open in Swampscott, joining other stores in Burlington and Danvers along with a food truck that has been off the road due to the COVID-19 pandemic but is returning later this week. A Patch article mentions that founder Melissa Gale opened the new shop over the weekend, and that it will be open Tuesday through Sunday starting at noon each day (closing time is 9:00 PM Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, and 10:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays).

The Cookie Monstah, which started out as a food truck in 2014, offers cookies, ice cream, and ice cream sandwiches.

The address for The Cookie Monstah in Swampscott is 505 Paradise Road, Swampscott, MA, 01907. Its website can be found at https://thecookiemonstah.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Levain Bakery May Be Coming to Boston

An iconic New York City bakery that is known for its extra-large cookies could be expanding to the Boston area.

Eater is reporting (via Grub Street) that Levain Bakery is looking to expand beyond New York, with Boston being "under consideration" along with Washington, DC, and Chicago. The bakery is known for its six-ounce cookies that have been featured in a number of books and on TV, including a chocolate chip cookie throwdown with Bobby Flay in which the celebrity chef lost to owners Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald.

Levain Bakery started out on the Upper West Side in 1996 and currently has three locations in Manhattan and one on Long Island, with a new Manhattan location coming to the Upper East Side this week and a Noho outlet coming this fall.

The website for Levain Bakery can be found at https://www.levainbakery.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Insomnia Cookies Plans to Open in Boston's Downtown Crossing

It looks like a chain of late-night cookie delivery shops may be opening its third Boston-area location, and this one would be located right in the heart of the city.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, Insomnia Cookies is planning to open on Bromfield Street in the Downtown Crossing area, with the shop including a counter area and kitchen and having proposed hours of 9:00 AM to 3:00 AM. If approved and the shop does open, it will join others by Boston University and in Cambridge's Harvard Square.

Insomnia Cookies is known for its delivery of cookies to the doors of college students and others as well as its late-night retail shops; the New York-based business started out in the dorm room of founder Seth Berkowitz at the University of Pennsylvania back in 2003.

The address for the proposed Insomnia Cookies in Downtown Crossing is 61 Bromfield Street,. Boston, MA, 02108. The website for the chain can be found at https://insomniacookies.com/

[June 7 update: A post from Universal Hub indicates that Insomnia Cookies has gotten approval from the Boston Licensing Board to open in Downtown Crossing--and it has also gotten approval to stay open until 3:00 AM, though its last orders of the night have to be placed by 2:45 AM.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Lakota Bakery in Arlington Heights Is Now Cookie Time Bakery

A beloved suburban bakery that has been in business for more than 25 years now has a new name--though that is apparently the only change to the place.

According to an article in Your Arlington, Lakota Bakery on Mass. Ave. in Arlington Heights is now called Cookie Time Bakery, as owner Barbara Weniger says that "When I started in 1991, I picked the name Lakota, because it reflected that I was from South Dakota and my husband at the time was part Micmac, and the word Lakota translates as 'allies.' But it has been 42 years since I lived in South Dakota, and the name really has no connection to the cookies nor to my longtime staff." Weniger goes on to say that her products will remain unchanged and her staff will continue working at the shop, as this is only a name change.

Lakota Bakery has been known in part for its wide variety of cookies along with its cakes.

The address for Lakota Bakery/Cookie Time Bakery is 1375 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA, 02476.

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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DŌ Cookie Dough Shop Could Be Coming to Boston

A New York-based shop that features edible cookie dough may just be on its way to Boston.

Eater Boston is reporting that DŌ has bought up a number of domain names across the United States, including one for Boston, with an earlier article from Cambridge Day saying that when asked about the shop possibly expanding to the local area--including Cambridge's Harvard Square--owner Kristen Page Tomlan said that it is "not completely out of the question – just not right away....We certainly have plans to expand, but we want to get the first shop up and running first."

DŌ, which is located in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, offers cookie dough that is made using a pasteurized egg product and is heat-treated and safe to eat; menu options include ice cream, cookies, milkshakes, brownies, and more.

The website for DŌ can be found at https://www.cookiedonyc.com/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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The Cookie Monstah Opens Brick-and-Mortar Bake Shop in Danvers

A local food truck that was once featured on the Travel Channel now has a brick-and-mortar shop.

According to a Facebook post from the business, The Cookie Monstah bake shop is now open on Route 1 in Danvers, with the place offering cookies, ice cream, and ice cream sandwiches. The store joins its food truck which can be found in several Boston locations, including the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the Back Bay, Boston Common, and the Financial District.

The Cookie Monstah was once featured on Andrew Zimmern's series "Bizarre Food: Delicious Destinations."

The address for this new bake shop in Danvers is: The Cookie Monstah, 75 Newbury Street, Danvers, MA, 01923. Its website can be found at http://www.thecookiemonstah.com/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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Goodnight Fatty to Get Kitchen Space in Salem; "Top Secret" Plans Also in the Works

A late-night cookie business on the North Shore has some new plans in the works.

According to a Facebook post, Goodnight Fatty is getting its own kitchen space somewhere in Salem, with the note saying that the "Fatty factory" will let them do more in the way of pop-ups and it will also help support the "top secret plans" that they have. Last fall, the people behind the company set up a cookie pop-up within Derby Joe's coffee shop on Friday and Saturday nights, offering a variety of cookies to customers looking for a late-night snack.

The address for Goodnight Fatty (and Derby Joe) is 142 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970. The website for Goodnight Fatty can be found at http://goodnightfatty.com/

[May 16 update: Eater Boston states that Goodnight Fatty is setting up shop in a conference room space that is accessed via the Higginson Square alleyway in back of the building at 10 Derby Square. The post says that the owners of the late-night weekend-only cookie business have partnered with Sperling Interactive on the space, with the dough being cooked onsite after being made at a rented commercial kitchen space. Eater says that Goodnight Fatty had a soft opening last weekend with its grand opening coming this weekend, and that it will be open from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.]

[Earlier Article]
Goodnight Fatty (Late-Night Cookie Pop-Up) Debuts in Salem

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Goodnight Fatty (Late-Night Cookie Pop-Up) Debuts in Salem

It looks like night owls on the North Shore who are also cookie lovers have a new place to check out.

According to a Facebook post from OctoCog, Goodnight Fatty is now up and running as a late-night cookie pop-up within Derby Joe's coffee shop in Salem, offering cookies to customers on Friday and Saturday nights from the Derby Street storefront. Eater Boston mentions that a few of the options for cookies from this past weekend included cinnamon with dark chocolate, pecans, and coconut, coconut with almonds and Ghirardelli dark chocolate, and double Ghirardelli dark chocolate with pecans and heath toffee bits.

Hours for Goodnight Fatty are 7:00 PM to midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.

The address for Goodnight Fatty (and Derby Joe) is 142 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970. The Facebook page for Goodnight Fatty can be found at https://www.facebook.com/goodnightfatty/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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Insomnia Cookies Is Opening by Boston University

A small chain of late-night cookie delivery shops that opened its first Boston-area store late last year is getting ready to open a second location.

According to a press release, Insomnia Cookies will be coming to Commonwealth Avenue by Boston University, joining an existing location on Mt. Auburn Street in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge.  The chain is known for its delivery of cookies to the doors of college students and others as well as its late-night retail shops, with the new location geared not only toward BU students, but also Red Sox fans who will be at nearby Fenway Park.

Other New England locations of Insomnia Cookies can be found at the University of Connecticut in Mansfield/Storrs and at Yale in New Haven.

It looks like the new Insomnia Cookies will open sometime this summer.

[September 4 update: Eater Boston is reporting that the new Insomnia Cookies by BU is now open.]

The address for this new spot will be: Insomnia Cookies, 708 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215. Their website is at http://insomniacookies.com/ (Thanks to Eater Boston for supplying the address.)

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Insomnia Cookies Is Opening in Cambridge's Harvard Square

A small chain of late-night cookie delivery shops that tends to cater to college students is opening its first shop in the Boston area, and this one would also be in an area with plenty of college folks.

The Harvard Crimson reports that Insomnia Cookies is looking at a space on Mount Auburn Street in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge, with this location being the second outlet in New England (another shop can be found by Yale University in New Haven, CT). The chain, which delivers freshly-baked cookies to the doors of college students (and others), offers gift boxes as well as milk for delivery, and it also features a catering menu for various events and parties.

[January 30, 2013 update: Insomnia Cookies has opened in Harvard Square.]

Insomnia Cookies currently has 22 locations in the United States, with most being near colleges and universities, according to the Boston Business Journal.

The address for this new cookie delivery shop in Harvard Square is 65 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the chain can be found at http://insomniacookies.com/

Thanks to the Boston Business Journal and Adam's Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog for bringing this to our attention.


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