Dirty Dough’s stuffed cookies coming to Buffalo Grove

A mother-daughter duo from Gurnee hopes to clean up financially by opening a shop in Buffalo Grove specializing in messy cookies.

Dirty Dough Cookies is opening soon at 127 McHenry Road in The Grove shopping center.

Part of a national chain with locations in Rockford and South Barrington, The company’s specialty is stuffed gourmet cookies with a weekly rotating roster of flavors.

Rina Patel is the owner of the new franchise, and her mother, Bakula Patel, will run the operation in the 1,200-square-foot space formerly occupied by Smallcakes Cupcakery.

Dirty Dough Cookies boasts a “thicker, softer, more gooey or flavorful cookie,” according to the chain’s website. “The ‘Dirty’ refers to all of the fillings, mix-ins and layers that go into our special cookie process,” the website says.

Flavors include caramel apple pie, coconut cream pie, stuffed chocolate chip and the “Brookie,” which is a brownie cookie with chocolate chips drizzled in caramel sauce.

Rina Patel said the cookies cater to whatever craving you might have. She herself likes the snickerdoodle cookie, while her mom likes cookies and cream.

Bakula Patel, who came to the U.S. in 1990 from Gujarat, India, has an extensive business background. During her first years in America, she worked at a factory in Antioch and eventually owned a gas station and a Subway franchise.

“We heard a lot of things about this franchise, and a family member introduced this to us,” Bakula said.

Bakula said the Buffalo Grove location was recommended by a family member who is a real estate broker.

The business has a low overhead and the benefit of inheriting some of the equipment of the previous tenant. It is a strictly carryout operation.

“Because it was a second-generation bakery, we were like, ‘This is going to save us a little bit of money for equipment, for build out, because it’s already a bakery,” Rina said.

Rina said her family member, “a serial entrepreneur,” knew she was looking for an investment.

“He ended up reaching out to me around December about Dirty Dough,” she said. He also reminded her that her mom had a background in the food and beverage business.

“My mom and I talked it through, and it seemed like a great fit,” she said. “We thought it would be a great opportunity, and the product itself is really good. So we were, like, ‘It’s a no-brainer.’”