WICHITA FALLS — A Texas bakery that recently went viral for its controversial “MAGA” cookies is now catering to the other side of the political spectrum.
Margie’s Bakery & Deli made national headlines for selling cookies frosted with the word “MAGA,” an acronym for “Make America Great Again,” popularized by supporters of Former President Donald J. Trump.
The bakery received a local outpouring of support. Since launching the “MAGA” cookie on June 19, Margie’s has sold over 13,000 cookies, according to general manager Andrew Morrow.
However, Margie’s also faced significant backlash for marketing the controversial cookie, with many community members criticizing the mix of politics and business on social media.
“We were getting harassed through phone calls and online, with people saying if we made Biden cookies and put them up front, all of our supporters would stop supporting us,” Morrow said.
In response, they created a cookie with blue frosting and the letters “BBB,” an acronym for “Build Back Better,” the slogan from President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
The idea came after several community members placed special orders for “Biden” cookies. Morrow saw it as an opportunity to cater to both sides of the political aisle.
“Political intent was never in our minds from the get-go,” Morrow said. “But we got pushed into a political category. Embracing it rather than fighting it has helped us thrive.”
They made about five dozen “BBB” cookies, displayed them alongside the “MAGA” cookies, and offered them for sale.
Like the “MAGA” cookie, the “BBB” cookie had a playful twist. For Margie’s, “MAGA” stood for “Make Margie’s Great Again,” and “BBB” for “Build Bakeries Better.”
Despite still receiving backlash, they’ve gained more support from the community, and the sales numbers are telling.
“The day we released the Build Back Better cookies, we sold only one BBB cookie and 3,000 MAGA cookies,” Morrow said.
Morrow mentioned that Michael Gerstner, the owner of Margie’s, has worked there since he was 16 and owned it for four decades. This situation is unprecedented.
“He said he has never experienced anything like this before,” Morrow said. “We’ve never seen so much support, love, and overall business.”
Morrow emphasized that the initial motivation wasn’t political, but now, it’s taking on a different stance.
“We’ve always been a neutral ground for everybody,” Morrow said. “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, threats, and attacks have only made us want to stand up for ourselves.”
Margie’s Bakery & Deli is still struggling to keep up with cookie demand. They’ve been closing early every day due to running 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, it might seem like we’re taking a political stance, but we’re simply fulfilling demand,” Morrow said.