01/25/2023
Friends of the MBC, we have an important update for you from Marquette Food Co-op General Manager, Matt Gougeon:
On Monday February 6th we will close the retail space at the Marquette Baking Company (MBC). This does not mean that we are closing the bakery, only the retail storefront at the Children’s Museum building. We will continue bakery operations there, but only sell baked goods through our store - and eventually to future wholesale accounts.
Customer count at the bakery has not met our projections and does not warrant the costs associated with running the bakery storefront. On the other hand, sales of bakery goods through our store have far exceeded our expectations. Our staff at the bakery make an excellent consistent product that our owners and customers love. They have done so while also challenged by staffing issues and near constant training. As such, maintaining the retail space at the bakery is an additional drain on bakery staff and unproductive.
As most purchases of MBC products happen at the store where customers are also shopping for groceries we will, in time, move equipment from the bakery space to the store. No retail equipment or fixtures will go to waste as it can be easily absorbed into the Co-op. Doing this will make room at the bakery to install new equipment and resources to increase production capacity for the store and the potential wholesale market. In the near term, while bakery operations are in transition, MBC product selection will be reduced to top selling items until production can increase and additional bakery retail space is created in our store.
We remain committed to the Marquette Baking Company and our intrepid staff of bakers. We will steadily transition the bakery toward increased productivity and continue to serve our community with great bread! We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about the bakery.