Blount County Bakery files defamation suit against Richy Kreme Doughnuts
Published November 6, 2023

MARYVILLE, TN - A lawsuit has been filed in Blount County Circuit Court alleging Dustin Cochran, the owner of Richy Kreme Doughnuts and Myrtle’s Bakery, formulated and instituted a campaign to discredit and harass Blount County Bakery owner Lisa Cunningham. Lisa’s former husband, Robert Cunningham, was also allegedly targeted in the defamation campaign.

Cochran, who bought Richy Kreme and Myrtle’s Bakery in late 2020, allegedly began accusing Blount County Bakery of stealing the recipe and logo for their 1/2 pound cookies in 2021. Blount County Bakery’s cookies were introduced in January 2021. According to a news article from mid-March 2021, Cochran’s cookies were still in development at that time.

“Lisa is exhausted with having to defend her brand at the Maryville Farmers Market and other events when customers tell her what Dustin Cochran says about her and her bakery,” said Robert Cunningham. “It’s become so repetitive and so hateful, that she felt it was time to do something legal.”

According to the lawsuit, Cochran also slandered Blount County Bakery’s authenticity as a local bakery, falsely claiming Blount County Bakery’s cake products were shipped from Nashville frozen, and not baked by Lisa Cunningham. With only a few minor exceptions, approximately 95% of Blount County Bakery’s products are made in a large commercial kitchen on Montvale Road in Maryville. Blount County Bakery, LLC states in the court document that Cochran’s behavior has affected their ability to grow and have harmed the business’s revenue generation.