Gold Standard Baking makes 12 million croissants every week, and it’s still not enough. Despite upgrading production lines and expanding operations at its high-speed bakery on the South Side of Chicago, the rapidly growing company finally began to reach its limit two years ago.
That’s not surprising for Yianny Caparos, the company’s president and chief executive officer, and George Caparos, vice-president of sales, who have been the face of the business since 2001. For years, the two brothers expected this day would come, and they have been preparing since 2014 to make their next move.
However, in the back of their minds, they keep seeking an answer to that elusive question that has bewildered them for more than a decade. Who’s eating all of those pastries?
“Yianny and I used to ask that all of the time,” George Caparos recounted. “It’s unbelievable.”
Another question may be: Who isn’t? The advent of 24-hour breakfast and the perpetual popularity of portable hand-held sandwiches throughout the day continues to drive croissant sales at an accelerated pace.
The company offers dozens of fully baked croissant varieties, including sliced, unsliced, butter, margarine, low-fat, round, curved, straight and even whole grain ones for schools or premium products for restaurants. Sizes range from 0.7 to 4 oz sold in clamshells for in-store bakeries or bulk-packed for food service and c-stores.
The bottom line? Gold Standard Baking doesn’t just sell a croissant, per se.
“We honed in on the understanding that the croissant is a carrier, whether for a breakfast or lunch sandwich,” Yianny Caparos explained. “We then put an emphasis on the croissant being a 24-hour product that people can use with grilled chicken at night to make a gourmet sandwich or an indulgent snack anytime during the day.”
