United States Bakery
TypePrivate
IndustryFood processing
Founded1906 (1906)
FoundersEngelbert Franz
Joe Franz
HeadquartersPortland, Oregon U.S.
Websitefranzbakery.com

United States Bakery, better known as Franz Family Bakeries, is a bread and pastry manufacturer headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Franz Bakery was founded in 1906. U.S. Bakery also owns the Northwest regional bread brands Williams', Gai's, and Snyder's.

History

A delivery wagon painted to look like the wagons at Williams Bakery
A Franz Bakery truck in Seattle

In collaboration with Engelbert Franz of Franz Bakery, W.P. Yaw of Yaw's Top Notch Restaurant invented the 5-inch (130 mm) diameter hamburger bun in the late 1920s.[1] Though others are credited with creating a bread product to use for the first hamburgers known to the world, Franz is credited for inventing the hamburger bun in its current worldwide accepted form.[2]

Acquisitions

United States Bakery has a long history of growth through acquisition.[3]

Date Company
1906 Ann Arbor Bakery, Portland Oregon
1907 United States Bakery (namesake), Portland Oregon
1976 Buttercup Bakery, Gresham Oregon
1977 Pioneer Bakery, Bend Oregon
1979 Snyder's Bakery, Yakima Washington
1980 Langendorf Bakery, Portland Oregon
1981 Smith Bakery, Salem Oregon
1985 Boge Bakery, Spokane Washington
1991 William's Bakery, Eugene Oregon
1994 Smith Cookie Company, McMinnville Oregon
1997 Gai's Bakery, Seattle Washington[4]
2010 Harvest Classic Bakery, Nampa Idaho
2013 Sweetheart, Eddy's, Standish Farms, and Grandma Emilie's brands from Hostess Brands
2017 United Grocers bakery facility, Los Angeles, California
2019 Rocky Mountain Bread Company and Dunford Bakers, Salt Lake City, Utah
2019 Svenhards Swedish Baker, Exeter, California
2021 Love's Bakery, Honolulu, Hawaii
A Franz Bakery Outlet in Gillette, Wyoming

In 2006, the Williams' factory, which had operated on the same site near the University of Oregon (UO) since 1908, was closed and the site sold to UO, which eventually built its current basketball venue, Matthew Knight Arena at that location.[5][6] Williams' relocated to a new plant in the Glenwood area of neighboring Springfield.[6] It was the first new bakery the firm had built from the ground up since 1906.[7]

In 2013, United States Bakery paid $28.85 million for Hostess' Sweetheart, Eddy's, Standish Farms, and Grandma Emilie's brands.[8]

Guinness World Record

A hot dog and bun 104 ft (32 m) long in front of Franz Bakery at NE 12th and Flanders in Portland

In July 2006, Franz baked a hot dog bun 104 feet 9.5 inches (31.941 m) long, breaking the Guinness World Record for the World's longest hot dog. The previous record was just over 57 feet (17 m) and set in 2005.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mayfield, Mitch. "Cruisin' Yaw's". Historical Highlights of Hollywood: Portland State University students and Multnomah County Library.
  2. ↑ "10 fun facts about Franz Bakery: It holds Guinness World Record for longest hot dog bun". Spokesman.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Franz Timeline". Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  4. ↑ Solomon, Christopher (February 25, 1997). "Gai's Bakery Sold To Firm In Portland". The Seattle Times.
  5. ↑ Bolt, Greg (November 10, 2007). "State board approves UO arena plan". Retrieved November 23, 2007.
  6. 1 2 Welch, Bob (September 21, 2006). "Campus missing that bakery bliss". Register-Guard (via goliath.ecnext.com). Retrieved November 23, 2007.
  7. ↑ "Franz Family Bakeries Opens New Bakery in Springfield". United States Bakery (press release). August 28, 2006. Retrieved November 23, 2007.
  8. ↑ "Stock Market & Financial Investment News". The fly on the Wall. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  9. ↑ KGW Staff (July 7, 2006). "104-foot giant hot dog displayed in Pioneer Square". KGW. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved May 2, 2008.
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