Bakery Express breaks ground in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, KY. — Commercial baking manufacturer Bakery Express Midwest on Jan. 26 broke ground on its new 50,000-square-foot facility in Boone County, Ky.

In August 2023, Bakery Express said it would be investing $10 million to build a 35,000-square-foot facility in Boone County. Now, the company said it expects to spend nearly $20 million to build a bigger plant. The facility will produce sweet baked goods, including donuts, cookies, cakes, pastries, muffins and more, for distribution in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. It will employ more than 175 workers.

Construction on the plant is expected to be completed by December 2024, with the bakery operational by April 2025, Bakery Express said.

“On behalf of the nearly 700 Bakery Express team members across the country, I could not be more excited about the opportunity today’s groundbreaking represents,” said Charles L. Burman, president of Bakery Express Midwest. “One of the things I have learned along the way is that it takes a team of partners committed to the success of a project to get to this stage, and that is what I have been fortunate enough to have, great partners. The team from Bakery Express Florida, the team from BE NKY, Team Kentucky, the Cushman Wakefield team and the Geis Construction team have been invaluable partners in getting this project underway, and, of course, the teams from Wawa whose entry into this market has made this entire project possible. We look forward to being a great addition to Boone County as this area continues to grow and prosper.”

Bakery Express Midwest was founded in 1970 in Halethorpe, Md., by Burman as Bakery Express Mid Atlantic Inc. Burman expanded the company in the following years by founding regional offshoots, including Bakery Express of Central Florida, Bakery Express of Central Texas, Bakery Express of Southern California and Bakery Express Midwest.

The Bakery Express facilities currently employ 620 people and distribute wholesale baked foods to more than 4,000 retail outlets nationwide. In addition to wholesale distribution, most Bakery Express locations also feature a retail bakery storefront.