Food Chain - Issue 213 - August 2026 | Page 143

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Corner Bakery Cafe
feeling short of choice. Everything we make is to order, so guests can customize their meals however they like, and everything is prepared fresh.”
This focus on fundamentals extends to the products at the heart of Corner Bakery’ s heritage. The company is renewing long-time supplier relationships and revisiting classic recipes as part of a broader revitalization.“ This year has been about strengthening our partnerships to elevate the quality of our core offerings. We worked with Pete Rogers and his family at Java City to source exceptional coffee beans and the perfect roast in their roasting facility in Sacramento, CA. The result is a richer, more flavorful coffee rroast. We’ re also partnering with Don Smith at French Gourmet and Shells by Design to develop an entirely new dessert and sweets offering that is very unique to our heritage. Furthermore, we returned to our roots by working with Willie Zimberoff at our original Chicago commissary that Willie now owns as 3D Baking, to create new bread recipes. These collaborations have helped us bring even more quality and consistency to our cafes.”
Investing in improvements
With the recipes set, Corner Bakery’ s growth strategy now reaches into restaurants, technology, and operations. The company is investing in both physical locations and digital infrastructure as guest expectations evolve.
Remodel projects are underway across the company’ s locations, while self-order kiosks, updated systems, and new digital tools are reshaping operations behind the scenes.“ It takes a lot of investment, patience, belief, and passion in the brand. We’ re always remodeling and will keep updating until the entire brand is refreshed. We’ ve invested heavily in information technology, and it advances so quickly that you always have to be 12 to 18 months ahead.”
One major initiative currently underway is the redesign of Corner Bakery’ s loyalty platform, connecting retail and catering customers through a single rewards ecosystem. This integration matters, since catering has always been a core revenue driver rather than just a side offering.“ Our loyalty program will let our retail and
foodchainmagazine. com 143