Makeda Plans to Open Cookie Franchise in Atlanta

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nearly three years after the tragic loss of Young Dolph, Makeda’s announced its expansion during his birthday month.

“We will be opening our first franchise in Atlanta, Georgia,” said Raven Winton, Makeda’s chief operating officer.

Both locations here in Memphis will remain open, but Winton says it’s time to share the homemade butter cookies Dolph loved with the world.

“I think everyone should try Makeda at least once in their life,” Winton said. “Not just the cookies, but the culture and the history behind it. We’ve been through a lot.”

In November 2021, rapper Young Dolph was shot and killed in the cookie shop on Airways Boulevard.

“We’re still grieving,” Winton said.

She also says she wants to show young people in the community that major setbacks can lead to strong comebacks.

“We want to bring some happiness to the community,” Winton said. “To let them know that you can’t give up.”

That’s just a bite of the pie. Winston says, “I’m trying to put them all over the world. I want everyone to say, ‘Makeda forever,’ just like Dolph. We’re going to say, ‘Dolph forever.'”

The company will celebrate its 25th anniversary in September this year.