Dirty Dough opening delayed after complications with proximity to Insomnia Cookies
A new gourmet cookie shop that doesn't mind getting down and dirty is opening its doors in Springfield later this year.
Dirty Dough, a gourmet cookie shop based in Arizona, is expected to open a location in Springfield by December. As of where Springfield's Dirty Dough will be located is still being determined.
Originally, the shop was supposed to open at 401 S. Kimbrough Ave. Suite 110, right beside Insomnia Cookies downtown.
"We thought it was going to be just fine; that was the understanding, everyone was under that impression," Dirty Dough owner Isaac Aldridge told the News-Leader. "Insomnia Cookies was not too pleased, so we were forced to find a new spot." The News-Leader contacted Insomnia Cookies' chief marketing officer for clarity but did not hear back by press deadline.
Aldridge, a Springfield native, said the mission of Dirty Dough is to create something tasty, not necessarily a product that is "Instagram ready."
"Life gets dirty, life has problems, life is difficult, but we can still make something beautiful and delicious out of it," Aldridge said. "You'll see that as you compare it to other cookie brands that are gourmet or higher-end. They're picture-perfect ... and if you look at the Dirty Dough imagery ... it's always this big, gooey cookie being torn apart. It's not exactly the same, Instagram-perfect feel."
Dirty Dough's go-to classics include the Stuffed Chocolate Chip, Brookie (brownie and chocolate chip cookie), Raspberry Toaster Tart (sugar cookie filled with raspberry jam), Reverse with Reese's (fudge filling wrapped in a chocolate chip and peanut butter cookie) and Cookies n Creme.
Fan-favorite specialty flavors have included Kickin Berry Cheesecake (raspberry and jalapeno filled), Dirty Circus (chocolate cookie filled with marshmallows, sprinkles and circus animal cookies) and The Muscle (fudge brownie cookie with 25 grams of protein).
What's the dirt on the cookie wars?
While the local Insomnia Cookies may have been against Dirty Dough's opening next door, there's a larger cookie war at play involving Dirty Dough.
In May 2022, Crumbl Cookies filed a federal lawsuit against Dirty Dough and Crave Cookie for copyright infringement. Crumbl claimed Dirty Dough and Crave Cookie have similar logos and packaging to their own.
According to Salt Lake City, Utah-based KSL-TV, Crumbl claimed Dirty Dough's marketing is “similar to Crumbl’s in both expression and look and feel, its cookies are dressed in a manner that imitates Crumbl cookies, and its packaging is confusingly similar to Crumbl’s packaging.”
Initially, Dirty Dough poked fun at the lawsuit on its social media channels, but the company later released two public statements in response.
"Amidst the light-heartedness of social media, Dirty Dough is taking the current Utah lawsuits seriously," a Dirty Dough statement released on July 21, 2022 read. "We continue to deny the allegations and intend to vigorously defend against and defeat Crumbl's legal claims. Dirty Dough has not infringed on Crumbl's purported intellectual property."
This year, Dirty Dough filed a counterclaim against Crumbl, claiming the legal battle has cost the company money, affecting relationships with potential investors, the ability to obtain loans and increased vendor costs.
Crumbl Cookie, which plans to open two locations in Springfield this year, was established in 2017 in Logan, Utah. Dirty Dough started in November 2018 as a delivery-only service out of a student apartment at Arizona State University and Crave Cookie started in Clovis, California in 2019.
A jury trial for the initial federal lawsuit has been scheduled for 2024.
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Dirty Dough to open Springfield location by December
