Craveworthy Brands is taking a bigger bite of the Dirty Dough cookie chain, it was announced Tuesday.
After acquiring a significant stake in Dirty Dough in January 2024, Craveworthy will now become the sole owner in an equity swap with founder Bennett Maxwell, who in turn will take an equity stake in the larger Craveworthy platform.
The deal, which is expected to close by the end of October, comes after one of Craveworthy’s investors injected $2 million in Lindon, Utah-based Dirty Dough.
Craveworthy founder and CEO Gregg Majewski, who is also CEO of Dirty Dough, said the investor did not want to be named.
But he described the investment as “a testament to the belief that investors have in the future of Dirty Dough."
Craveworthy’s initial investment was designed in part to create co-branding opportunities for existing franchisees. The deal included a cookie dough manufacturing facility, which Majewski said was underutilized. The company was also considering CPG opportunities in grocery stores.
With the full acquisition, Dirty Dough expects to benefit from the infrastructure support of being part of the Craveworthy platform, including supply chain management, culinary expertise, franchise development and marketing support, the announcement said.
“We are thrilled to have secured this funding, which allows us to take Dirty Dough to the next level,” said Maxwell in a statement. “Partnering with Craveworthy Brands has already opened doors for us, and this additional capital will help us accelerate our growth while continuing to deliver the quality and innovation that our customers love.”
Dirty Dough also last week obtained a $2 million line of credit with TAB Bank to support expansion.
Known for cookies that are stuffed with fillings, layers or mix-ins, Dirty Dough has about 65 locations open, along with 15 food trucks, and another 30 expected to open before the end of the year. The company said it has about 450 signed franchise agreements, though Maxwell said franchise sales have been on hold while the deal has been in the works.
The cookie brand famously battled with competitor Crumbl Cookies both in social media and the courtroom in a lawsuit that alleged trademark infringement. That lawsuit was later settled.
Meanwhile, as part of Craveworthy, the Dirty Dough brand has been working on menu extensions, Maxwell said in an interview.
The chain is looking to add edible cookie dough in stores, for example, and some locations are adding dirty sodas—sodas with mix-ins and toppings that have long been popular in Utah but are becoming increasingly adopted elsewhere with the growth of beverage chains, like Swig. Previously, Dirty Dough offered sodas in cans and milk as the beverage options.
“We’re pivoting more to the dessert side, rather than just cookies,” said Maxwell. “But it’s cookie-inspired desserts.”
Dirty Dough is now one of about 15 brands operated and franchised by Craveworthy, which includes legacy brands, like Genghis Grill, BD’s Mongolian Grill, Flat Top Grill, but also acquisitions Majewski has collected in recent years, such as Budlong Southern Chicken, Wing It On!, Sigri Indian BBQ, Taim Mediterranean Kitchen and Hot Chicken Takeover.
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