United States Bakery, which does business as Franz Bakery, is in the process of moving its Coeur d’Alene operations to a facility more than double the space the bakery currently occupies, says Tim Harper, general manager of the Franz Bakeries Spokane division for the Portland, Ore.-based company.
Harper says he expects the Coeur d’Alene operations will be moved completely into its new 19,900-square-foot space at 500 W. Dalton by Jan. 1.
The Coeur d’Alene operations outgrew the existing 8,000-square-foot facility at 1220 N. Government Way a few years ago, but Franz Bakery was committed to a long-term lease, he says.
In the Coeur d’Alene area, “we enjoy the majority market share of all the commercial breads sold, so our business has expanded exponentially over the past several years,” he asserts.
The company also has most of the market share in Eastern Washington, he contends.
Franz Bakery maintains delivery routes and has an outlet store through its Coeur d’Alene operations.
Harper says personnel in that bakery serves 12 delivery routes that range from Wallace, Idaho, to Post Falls. Those routes serve grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and other retail outlets, he says.
Franz Bakery’s Coeur d’Alene outlet store sells a variety of breads, such as bagels, rolls, and other baked goods, including Cyrus O’Leary Pies, he says. The store is at the same location as the bakery and will move along with it.
In total, about 20 employees work out of the Coeur d’Alene facility, three or four of whom joined in the past few years, Harper says.
“The sales growth that goes along with those three-to-four people is fairly substantial,” he says, although he declines to disclose annual revenue.
Craig Hunter and Rob Kannapien, both of Coeur d’Alene-based brokerage Coldwell Banker Commercial Schneidmiller Realty, handled the lease of the new space on Dalton.
According to Franz Family Bakeries’ website, United States Bakery was founded in 1906 by Engelbert Franz. The company has 10 bakeries and multiple bakery outlets across seven states: Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Franz sells a variety of baked goods, including breads, English muffins, bagels, hot dog and hamburger buns, donuts and cookies, and a gluten-free line.