Rende Progress Capital funds Daddy’s Dough Cookies

Rende Progress Capital funds Daddy’s Dough Cookies
Daddy’s Dough offers 14 different cookie varieties, including Snickerdoodle Cream Pie, Oatmeal Cranberry and Apple Cider Cream Pie. <strong> Courtesy Daddy's Dough </strong>

A local racial equity lending firm made a loan to a Black- and family-owned food business.

Grand Rapids-based Rende Progress Capital (RPC) said Friday, Dec. 10, it provided a loan of an undisclosed amount to Daddy’s Dough Cookies, a Grand Rapids-area wholesale cookie business founded in 2015 by MarcQus and Tawanna Wright.

“Daddy’s Dough Cookies (is) a great family business experiencing growth,” said Eric Foster, co-founder, chair and managing director of RPC. “… Family-owned businesses are key in our mission, impact outcomes and goal to create intergenerational wealth and family economic security for people of color.”

Daddy’s Dough offers 14 different cookie varieties, including Snickerdoodle Cream Pie, Oatmeal Cranberry and Apple Cider Cream Pie. As the Business Journal reported in 2018, the Wrights were encouraged by their children — their first taste-testers — to turn their talent into a business.

They first introduced their products to the market through sales at pop-up shops and farmers markets, then moved into grocery stores. The brand now is in a place where more retail opportunities are on the horizon, the couple said.

In addition to ordering online, people can find Daddy’s Dough products at Meijer’s small-concept stores — the Bridge Street Market in Grand Rapids and Capital City Market in Lansing — as well as Horrocks and Fresh Thyme.

Daddy’s Dough focuses on fresh-baked snacks rather than prepackaged items and offers gluten-free and dairy-free items.

Along with cookies and desserts, the couple’s other offerings include cookie kits for virtual baking classes.

The RPC loan will help Daddy’s Dough buy new equipment for expanded production to meet customer demand and secure more contracts with retail stores.