Bakery behind viral MAGA cookie now offers Biden-themed option
"At the end of the day maybe it is now political. Maybe it’s unavoidable. But everyone needs to know, we are not the ones who pushed it there."
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — A Texas bakery that recently went viral for its controversial "MAGA" cookies is now offering a creation catered to the other side of the political spectrum.
Margie's Bakery & Deli made national headlines in recent weeks for selling cookies frosted with the word "MAGA," an acronym for the phrase "Make America Great Again" that was adopted by supporters of Former President Donald J. Trump.
The bakery has received a local outpouring of support. Since first making the "MAGA" cookie available on June 19, Margie's has sold over 13,000 of the cookies, according to general manager Andrew Morrow.
However, Margie's has also received significant backlash for marketing the controversial cookie, with many community members sounding off in the comments section on social media for mixing politics with business.
"We were getting harassed through phone calls and online a little bit on how if we made Biden cookies and put them up front, then all of our supporters would stop supporting us," Morrow said.
Morrow said they decided to test that thought, creating a cookie with blue frosting and the letters "BBB," the acronym for "Build Back Better," the slogan adopted by President Joe Biden during his 2020 campaign.
The idea came after several community members called Margie's and placed special orders for cookies frosted with "Biden." Morrow thought it was an opportunity to offer a sweet selection for both sides of the political aisle.
"Political intent was never in our minds from the get-go," Morrow said. "But somehow, we got bullied and pushed into a political category. And we have noticed by simply embracing it rather than fighting it, it has helped us thrive."
So, Morrow said they made about five dozen "BBB" cookies, set them up front in Margie's main display case alongside the "MAGA" cookies, and offered them for sale.
Like with the "MAGA" cookie, Morrow said they made "BBB" a play-on-words. For Margie's, "MAGA" was an abbreviation for "Make mArgie's Great Again," and "BBB" was an acronym for "Build Bakeries Better."
Morrow said not only have they still received backlash from the same people who opposed the initial "MAGA" cookies, but they've gained even more support from community members, and the sales numbers speak for themselves.
"In the day we released the Build Back Better cookies, we only sold one BBB cookie, and we sold 3,000 MAGA cookies," Morrow said.
Morrow said Michael Gerstner, the owner of Margie's, has worked at the store since he was 16 and has owned it for four decades, and what's happening now is completely unique.
"He said that he has never ever experienced anything like this before," Morrow said. "We have never seen so much support and love and overall business."
Morrow continued to emphasize that the motivation behind the cookies wasn't originally to take a political stance, but now, it's taking a different kind of stance altogether.
"We have always been a neutral ground for everybody," Morrow said. "At the end of the day, maybe it is now political. Maybe it’s unavoidable. But everyone needs to know we are not the ones who pushed it there. The extreme hate and threats and attacks have only made us want to stand up for ourselves."
Morrow said Margie's Bakery & Deli is still having trouble making enough cookies to meet the community's demand. He said Margie's has been closing early every day of the week, having to turn people away because they run out of "MAGA" cookies.
"If everyone in this town is rooting for a red cookie with 'MAGA' on it, and that’s the cookie we’re selling thousands of, then I’m sure you might see that and think that’s a political stance that we’re choosing when simply, it’s fulfilling demand," Morrow said.