Flower Mound bakery faces backlash for Tim Walz cookies

Skip to Main ContentSkip to footerSectionsSearchTDMNNewsBusinessSportsHigh School SportsArts & EntertainmentFoodGo See DFWOpinionSign InManage AccountePaperSubscribeSubscribe TodayStarting at 25¢Discover HoroscopesBest in DFWLife & Loss In Dallas AbodeThings to Do Podcasts ePaper ObituariesPublic NoticesHelp Center18°F26°18°AdvertisementFoodFlower Mound bakery faces backlash for Tim Walz cookiesIt’s not the first time Hive Bakery has taken heat for its baked goods. By Claire BallorFood ReporterOct. 3, 2024|Updated 7:00 a.m. CDT|3 min. readHive Bakery in Flower Mound is facing backlash after making Tim Walz cookies ahead of Tuesday's vice presidential debate.(Courtesy of Hive Bakery)Ahead of Tuesday’s vice presidential debate, Haley Popp shared a picture of sugar cookies emblazoned with the face of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the Instagram page for her Flower Mound shop Hive Bakery.“We only have a few dozen!” the post said. “Order online or come see us!!”The cookies sold out and the death threats rolled in, Popp said.She wasn’t surprised. It happened when she first made rainbow cookies for Pride Month, and every time she’s shared any sort of political view since opening her business in 2018. It used to scare her, but now she said she feels a responsibility to speak her mind as a small-business owner in an increasingly volatile political climate.Eat Drink D-FWThe latest food and drink reviews, recipes and info on the D-FW food scene.SIGN UPOr with: GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyHaley Popp, owner of Hive Bakery in Flower Mound(Courtesy of Haley Popp)“This business is just an extension of who I am, and I don’t think I should have to be quiet,” she said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. “I’ve built this platform. Why shouldn’t I use it?”Some of the worst threats she received this week came from the comment section of a private Facebook group called Flower Mound Cares. One commenter expressed wishes that her bakery and “all of the gay people in it” would burn, Popp said. Others came after her physical appearance.AdvertisementShe notified Flower Mound police of the threats and was told that unless someone messages her directly with a threat to harm her, there’s nothing they can do about online bullying.“I’m never posting anything fueled by hatred. I literally just post photos of cookies, and that will get me a death threat,” she said.Over the years, she said she has received countless death threats, berating phone calls, negative online reviews and hostile letters pieced together with cut-out magazine words. They always come after she makes cookies or cakes that convey political leanings.AdvertisementPopp, a self-taught baker who has competed several times on Food Network programs, has been told to take the “shut up and bake” approach to running her business. She refuses to silence her views, she said, and hopes other small-business owners do the same.Advertisement“You can’t make people be quiet that want to talk,” she said. “I think a lot of small businesses should start being more authentically themselves. It’s no way to live to just be silenced.”Popp said she’s never experienced a drop in business when her bakery has been attacked for its cookies, only boosts in sales. The support it receives always outweighs the negativity, she said, even though the number of people who come after her has grown drastically in the six years she’s been running her business.She regularly gets emails from other small-business owners and teachers who share their experiences of being on the receiving end of vitriol.AdvertisementFor as many disapproving head shakes as she gets when walking through Flower Mound grocery stores, she has just as many people stop her to share words of encouragement, she said.“We have an army of people behind us,” she said. “We are not alone in this community.”ex.co script has been added to the pageRelated LinksItalian chophouse and seafood restaurant opens soon on Dallas’ Greenville Avenue9 iconic restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth that closed recently3 new bagel shops open now or coming soon in Dallas-Fort WorthNational Margarita Day deals abound at 22 D-FW restaurantsD-FW dominates Texas restaurants on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to EatMore about:Flower MoundBy Claire BallorSince first starting her career at The Dallas Morning News in 2015, Claire has reported and written on a wide range of topics, covering breaking news, Dallas City Hall, criminal and civil courts and, most recently, food. Her work last year included the shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets and the fentanyl epidemic.Connect:AdvertisementMost Popular1Power outages drop after over 5,000 people in D-FW were without power Wednesday morning2How this Dallas restaurateur changed the history of the margarita3Kentucky Fried Chicken moving to Dallas-Fort Worth? 7 restaurants HQ’d in surprising spots4Southwest Airlines exec key to turnaround effort is leaving5Mack Brown says North Carolina exit ‘probably more political than anything else’AdvertisementAdvertisementTDMNTexas' Leading News SourceEst. 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Coincidentally, "Shut Up and Bake" is the title of JD Vance's next book.