Flower Mound's cookie politics
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Haley Popp's Hive Bakery has appeared multiple times on Food Network. Photo: Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi/Axios
Yard signs promoting former President Trump dot many lots in Flower Mound. "Trump or bust," a large handwritten sign off Interstate 35E says.
- In the midst of a deeply conservative town, a bakery has made a bold move by selling sugar cookies promoting the Democratic ticket.
Why it matters: Denton County, where Flower Mound is located, overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020.
- The town's Hive Bakery has drawn both praise and ire over the past two weeks for selling cookies decorated with likenesses of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
State of play: The extra attention has driven up cake orders, pastry pickups and merch sales. There have been T-shirt orders from Canada, New Zealand and Germany, too.
- The bakery now makes over 200 Harris-Walz cookies daily and sells out within hours. Many people have driven over 45 minutes to buy the cookies at $6 apiece.
What she's saying: "There are all these pockets of people that exist here that feel the same way we do, and they feel isolated. So I thought, why not put it out there and let them know they're not," Hive Bakery owner Haley Popp tells Axios.
Yes, but: While she has earned many new customers, Popp says, she has received a barrage of harsh social media comments and phone calls in recent weeks.
- "It's equal parts good and bad, but yes, people will definitely shake their heads at me. … We've had all kinds of craziness from this community," Popp says.
Context: Hive Bakery has been on Food Network multiple times and won two baking championships on the channel.
- Popp has been vocal about her beliefs for years, often supporting LGBTQ and women's rights organizations through her bakery. This election, she says, the negativity toward her is more intense than it has ever been.
The intrigue: Popp's parents are strong Trump supporters. Popp and her brother are Democrats. The family has a podcast where they hash out their political differences.
The bottom line: Popp says people who don't agree with her politics don't have to give her their business.
- "This is my voice, my business and I'm going to use this platform however I please," Popp says.