New packaging, new bakery and new retail stores are just a small part of Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies "baked" this year.

On November 6, Makeda's celebrated the grand opening of its new bakery and retail store at 301 Jefferson Ave.

Makeda's is famous for its old-fashioned butter biscuits. These beloved cookies are sold in Makeda's two bakeries (the original bakery on Airways and the new bakery in the city center) and more than 50 grocery stores.

"We have more than doubled the space from the old downtown location on Second Street," said Pamela Hill, who owns the bakery with her husband Morris, adding that their size has increased from 2,400 square meters. Feet increased to 5,300 square feet.

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Hills has transferred all the baking from the grocery store to Jefferson Avenue Bakery.

The new spacious bakery has a carousel oven that allows them to bake 20 trays of biscuits at a time. "At one time it was 40 dozen large biscuits and 2,200 small biscuits," Pamela said.

The new capacity comes at the right time. By early 2022, Makeda will be opened in another 70 grocery stores.

"We will now be in the Kroger warehouse," Pamela said. "We have always delivered directly to every store, and now they will distribute our biscuits."

Makeda's packaging is also new. They invested in a packaging machine that allowed them to seal the biscuits in a colorful 6.5-ounce shelf-stable package.

The new bakery also has a retail store selling butter cookies, butter cookie crust pies and their famous banana pudding. You can even get freshly made ice cream sandwiches.

Makeda's original "gift bag" packaging can be purchased in retail stores.

The bakery also offers several additional flavors of homemade biscuits, including Pamela’s favorite-oatmeal raisins.

Airways Bakery will remain open and bake fresh biscuits every day, but only at that location. 

Pamela said she hopes that the franchise of the retail store will be the next step in their growing business.

The Hills launched this bakery from a small space of 880 square feet at 2370 Airways Blvd. September 18, 1999. Soon news of the delicious butter biscuits spread, and the couple launched a grocery retail package.

Hills named their bakery after their niece Makeda. Every package has her smiling face. “Makeda died in 1997 after failing in the fight against leukemia. We named the bakery after her to keep her memory,” Pamela said.

In 2015, the second bakery opened at 488 S. Second in downtown Memphis; it closed last year when Hills decided to move to a larger location that better suits the company's needs.

Over the years, Makeda's has developed into a family affair. In addition to Pamela and Maurice, their son Maurice Hill Jr. and daughter Raven Winton also appeared in the bakery.

Pamela said: "I am very happy to be in a business that is still booming," adding that biscuits may be exactly what everyone needs now.

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can contact her at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com, and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @cookwjennifer.

Makeda's homemade butter cookies

Location: 2370 Airways Blvd. and 301 Jefferson Ave. Biscuits are also available at local grocery stores.

Time: Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 7 pm; closed on Sunday