With a modular, highly flexible bakery and processes in place to drive innovation, Main Street Gourmet is ready to branch out. The company plans to do that with the support of Shore Capital Partners. In September 2019, Chicago-based Shore Capital recapitalized Main Street Gourmet and has been investing in the business development, sales and marketing, and production infrastructure.

Shore Capital’s investment also will enable Main Street Gourmet to grow beyond its current production capabilities. Through acquisitions, Harvey Nelson, chief executive officer and co-founder, hopes the company can expand those capabilities and bring its customization expertise to other baking companies.

“We have this competency that not a lot of companies have, so if we can find bakeries that are focused on niche products, we can help their customers with their issues,” Mr. Nel-son explained. “We think it would be really powerful to partner with a few niche-oriented companies.”

In fact, this growth is already under-way with the October acquisition of Biscotti Brothers, Greensburg, Pa., a premium commercial bakery making biscotti and pizzelles for in-store bakery customers.

“We are incredibly excited about bringing the Main Street Gourmet and Biscotti Brothers businesses together, given the complementary product and customer dynamics,” said David Veenstra, CEO, Main Street Gourmet Holdings.

By bringing its customization model to acquisitions, Main Street Gourmet believes it will not only grow its business but also help other bakeries and their customers adapt, survive and even thrive in this competitive food-service environment.

This article is an excerpt from the November 2020 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Main Street Gourmet, click here.