Calling all south LA sweet tooths: Cookie Plug franchise owners (and high school sweethearts) Lee and Julie Meng have confirmed they will open a Lakewood branch of the ‘90s-inspired, hip-hop-centric confectionary concept this October. Additionally, the duo will debut a second location at the Long Beach Towne Center come December before scouting Belmont Shore, Carson, and San Pedro for further expansion.
The couple, who married in 2007 and have two children, were first introduced to Cookie Plug by one of Lee’s coworkers. Though The Mengs were undoubtedly enamored by the brand’s bold and unique approach, it was the look on their kids’ faces upon seeing the colors, graphics, and “overwhelming size” of the cookies — sheer astonishment and joy — that sold them on the franchising opportunity. “We knew it at that moment, for sure,” explains Julie Meng.
Though neither Lee nor Julie has owned a franchise before or worked professionally in the food sphere — Lee is an engineer medic with Calfire Riverside Division and, Julie, after several jobs in retail and field leadership, became a stay-at-home mom — they are confident they will “deliver on all ends.”
“We are going to leverage all of our employment and life experiences to create a value-based working culture with maximum profitability,” says Julie Meng. “My husband and I come from immigrant parents who instilled in us [great] work ethic, which we practice and take pride in.”
Presently, The Mengs are preparing for the soft opening of their Lakewood store, aptly tending to media and PR opportunities that will help bring attention to their outposts. Mostly, however, the family is just excited for the 10/28 grand opening, and for the ultimate chance to bring fresh cookies and big change to the beautiful communities that they are a part of.
“[We really want to] make a positive impact.”
