Lexington now has a place for people interested in indulging in the guilty pleasure of eating raw cookie dough without the threat of listening to their mothers tell them it isn’t safe.

With the opening of NoBaked Cookie Dough, a gourmet edible cookie dough dessert shop, visitors can say “Don’t mind if I dough!”

NoBaked, located at 3735 Palomar Centre Dr., #220, Lexington, KY 4051, held its grand opening on Saturday, Oct. 14. Employee Whitney Griffin, age 16, said that after a soft opening on Thursday and Friday of the same week, the grand opening went quite well.

“We’ve gotten a lot of compliments on the setup and the store design. People also really seem to like the milkshakes and variety of flavors,” Griffin said.

Daniel Sizemore, a customer who tried the Chocolate Chip and the Confetti Sugar, said the store was bigger than he thought it would be. He said the cookie dough “tastes really good.”

The Lexington location of NoBaked Cookie Dough is about 1,300 square feet and features indoor and outdoor seating. With counter service ordering and pink décor that is reminiscent of traditional ice cream shops, the store is sure to attract dessert lovers.

Megan “Beaven” Feeman, the CEO and founder of NoBaked, launched the company in March of 2017 as an online store, and it grew from there. Two locations in Nashville and one in Louisville eventually led to the franchise location in Lexington. The idea for the company, she said, came from her own love of cookie dough.

“I grew up eating raw cookie dough instead of baking the cookies. It has always been my favorite dessert, so I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather build a company around,” Feeman said.

Freeman looked forward to the grand opening, as it gives customers the chance to see what the company is about and how it works.

“The grand openings are always the first chance to try flavors and different menu options. Customers are usually hesitant and then more relaxed once they realize that the store is pretty simple and works similarly to an ice cream shop,” she said.

Visitors to the store, which is the first franchise of the brand, had the opportunity to taste several raw cookie dough flavors, including Chocolate Chip, Brownie Batter Chip, Confetti Sugar, Peanut Butter, Red Velvet, Snickerdoodle, Cookie Monster, with plenty of topping options. Made without eggs and using heat-treated flour, the dough is completely safe to eat. One scoop costs $5, two for $7, and three for $9.

“Cookie dough is already a unique dessert because it is so different than ice cream or cupcakes. Our cookie dough is especially unique because of the ability to eat it raw and without worry, and the special recipe and ingredients we use,” said Freeman.

The store also offers waffle cones, a half-baked sundae and milkshakes made with any of their cookie dough flavors and either chocolate or vanilla ice cream. These unique options surprised yet satisfied some customers.

“I didn’t know they were going to have milkshakes and sundaes, and stuff, so I think that’s pretty cool,” said Leslie Hancock, who tried scoops of the Chocolate Chip and Red Velvet.

For Freeman, there is excitement to be found from watching her customers experience the grand opening.

“My favorite part is seeing how excited customers get when they eat the cookie dough,” she said. “You can tell that they’re excited about being able to eat something that they were always told they shouldn’t.”