A cookie dough brand born in a Dallas home kitchen is about to land on grocery store freezer shelves across Texas. Made by Marge, known for its from-scratch, ready-to-bake dough, has announced a retail launch at Central Market, with packages expected to hit shelves within two weeks of the announcement made Tuesday.
The brand will debut two flavors, Original Chocolate Chip and S’mores, at eight Central Market stores across the state, according to a press release reported by the Preston Hollow Advocate. Locally, the dough is set to be sold in the frozen section at the Central Market located at 4349 W. Northwest Hwy. in Dallas, with each package retailing for $25.99.
Beyond the Northwest Highway store, the cookie dough will also be available at Central Market locations in Austin North Lamar, Austin Westgate, Dallas Lovers Lane, Fort Worth, Houston, Plano, San Antonio and Southlake. The product is made by hand in Dallas using butter, sugar and simple ingredients, and it contains no artificial dyes.
From Side Hustle to Grocery Shelves
The brand traces back to 28-year-old Margaret “Marge” Peus, who founded Made by Marge in 2023. She started the business as a side project while working as a consultant from her home, selling her treats at St. Michael’s Farmers Market in Preston Hollow before branching out further.
Peus left her full-time corporate job in January to grow the business, the Advocate reports. A separate account from Fort Worth Inc. offers a different picture, stating that her nine-to-five is with a women’s health supplement company called Needed — a discrepancy between the two outlets that remains unresolved.
Peus has described the Central Market placement as personally meaningful, saying her grandmother encouraged her to pursue a spot there. She noted that her cookie dough will now be sold at the same Central Market her family has shopped at for years, per the Advocate’s report.
Building a Following Before Retail
Made by Marge didn’t arrive at Central Market overnight. The brand has appeared as a vendor at a pop-up market. More recently, the brand expanded into two Dallas Foxtrot locations, as Fort Worth Inc. reported, building retail momentum ahead of the Central Market deal. The company also sold through farmers’ markets, porch pickups and its own website.
Despite the expanded shelf space, Made by Marge is expected to remain primarily a direct-to-consumer brand, according to the press release cited by the Advocate. Each package makes 12 cookies, per the company’s own website, and the dough contains no artificial preservatives or artificial dyes.
