Dorothy Lane Market Accelerates Growth of Its Killer Brownie Brand
Ohio-based independent grocer Dorothy Lane Market is taking its perennially popular Killer Brownie brand to new heights thanks to a new strategic tie-up with IFG Partners.
The Killer Brownie Co. was founded by Dorothy Lane CEO Norman Mayne in 1988 and originally sold in the retailer’s stores in the Buckeye State. The brand has expanded from Dorothy Lane to grocery stores across the United States in recent years, and the new partnership with IFG Partners will further accelerate that expansion.
[RELATED: Crookies, Banh Mi Boards and Muhammara]
"It's not in our nature to take on partners, so in order for us to do so, it would have to be with a very special family-owned business who would share the same values that we have at Killer Brownie and Dorothy Lane Market,” said Mayne. “We found such a family, the Taira Family and their President John Linehan. For us, the future is bright to have partners who are such incredible folks."
IFG brands include King's Hawaiian, Grillo's Pickles, Shaka Tea, Innovation Bakers and the IFG Restaurant Group. According to the company, the IFG model is highly decentralized with leadership of every company resident in that company, therefore Killer Brownie's executive team and management group plan to remain in place.
"This is a partnership between two wonderful families that share similar values and long records of being great employers and members of their communities,” said John Linehan. “They are also close friends who have been talking about and planning this partnership for several years. We could not be more excited about our future together."
Established in 1948, Dorothy Lane Market offers high-quality meats and fish, local seasonal produce, and a scratch bakery producing such items as hearth-baked artisan bread. The retailer also offers Naples-style pizza, sushi, soups, grilled meats to order, and other prepared foods daily. Dorothy Lane Market was named one of 25 Outstanding Independents by Progressive Grocer in 2023.
