Apple Spice
Apple Spice is a U.S. franchise box lunch delivery and corporate catering company operating nearly 50 locations across 19+ states, serving businesses of all sizes with fresh, daily-baked meals for meetings, events, and corporate functions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Apple Spice does
Apple Spice is a U.S. box lunch delivery and corporate catering franchise founded in 1988 in Salt Lake City, Utah by Randy Clegg and Wayne Curtis. Operating under the parent company Cafe Bakery Group, the system has grown to nearly 50 franchise locations across 19+ states, serving businesses of all sizes with meetings, events, conferences, and special-occasion catering from small groups of 5 to events exceeding 2,000 attendees. Core offerings include individually packaged box lunches (sandwiches, salads, soups with sides and a signature fresh-baked cookie), hot food catering (plated and buffet), breakfast catering, sandwich platters, and full-service corporate catering, with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free accommodations.
The operating model is built on in-store daily scratch baking of bread (13-grain, sourdough, honey wheat) and cookies, premium deli meats and cheeses, and a franchise-distributed last-mile delivery capability that supports an on-time delivery guarantee. Technology scope is limited to a website-based online ordering platform and the Apple Spice Rewards loyalty program (2 points per dollar, redeemable for gift cards); no mobile app, API, or disclosed AI capabilities exist.
Revenue is generated through five streams: recurring box lunch catering, hot food event catering, breakfast catering, franchise fees and royalties (with $200K liquidity / $600K net worth entry requirements), and the loyalty program. The go-to-market is B2B-direct to corporate clients with franchise acquisition and lifecycle support provided centrally. The franchise system operates exclusively within the United States, governed under Utah law, and is privately held with no disclosed funding history or institutional investors.
Apple Spice firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Apple Spice
- Legal name
- Cafe Bakery Group
- Website
- https://applespice.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Apple Spice is a U.S. franchise box lunch delivery and corporate catering company operating nearly 50 locations across 19+ states, serving businesses of all sizes with fresh, daily-baked meals for meetings, events, and corporate functions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Apple Spice industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Catering Services
- NAICS
- Special Food Services (7223), Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing (3118)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Soup, Chili & Comfort Foods (Self-Serve or Packaged) (CRAHAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA), Specialty Dietary Bakeries (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergen-Friendly) (THAFAFAI)
Keywords
Where Apple Spice is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices14 records
Markets served
Apple Spice business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Box Lunch Catering: Core revenue stream from individually packaged box lunch delivery to corporate offices. Meals include sandwiches, soups, salads with sides and baked goods. Recurring orders from corporate clients for meetings and events.
- Hot Food & Event Catering: Buffet-style and plated catering for corporate events including hot dishes, BBQ, baked pasta, appetizers, soups, sides, and desserts. Higher ticket orders for special events.
- Breakfast Catering: Breakfast delivery including hot and cold buffet options, breakfast platters, and boxed breakfast options featuring fresh-baked muffins, fruit, yogurt, pastries, and eggs.
- Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise development with franchisees paying for the right to operate Apple Spice locations. Minimum liquidity $200K and net worth $600K requirements.
- Apple Spice Rewards Program: Loyalty program where customers earn 2 points per dollar spent (excluding tax) and redeem points for gift cards. Points expire after 2 years of inactivity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Franchise Investment |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Apple Spice product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Apple Spice is a franchise-based corporate catering company that prepares and delivers individually labeled box lunches, hot and cold catering platters, breakfast catering, and sandwich platters to businesses and event venues. Each meal features bread baked from scratch daily in-store, premium deli meats and cheeses, and a signature freshly baked cookie, with dietary accommodations including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options available on request.
Product overview
Apple Spice is a catering company specializing in business box lunch delivery and corporate catering services. The core product portfolio consists of Box Lunch Catering (individually packaged meals with sandwiches, salads, and baked goods), Hot Food Catering (plated and buffet-style dining for events), Breakfast Catering (continental and boxed breakfast options), Sandwich Catering (hot and cold sandwich platters), and Corporate Catering (full-service catering for business events). The company also operates Apple Spice Rewards, a loyalty program offering points-based rewards redeemable for gift cards, and offers franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs to open new Apple Spice locations. All offerings emphasize fresh, daily-baked bread and premium ingredients delivered on schedule to businesses and events nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Box Lunch Catering Individually packaged box lunches featuring sandwiches, salads, soups, sides, and a signature freshly baked cookie, delivered to businesses and events with recipient name labels for easy distribution.
- Hot Food Catering Plated or buffet-style hot catering for in-person corporate gatherings featuring roasted meats, BBQ, baked pasta, hot dishes, soups, sides, and dessert.
- Breakfast Catering Hot and cold breakfast catering including continental spreads, individually packaged breakfast boxes, hot buffets with pastries, fruit, yogurt, eggs, and breakfast staples.
- Sandwich Catering Corporate sandwich catering offering hot and cold options including sub sandwich platters, pre-made cold sandwich platters, and DIY deli build-your-own sandwich trays.
- Corporate Catering Full-service corporate catering for business events including meetings, conferences, retreats, and company gatherings with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.
- Apple Spice Franchise Business franchise opportunity for opening Apple Spice box lunch delivery and catering locations, with comprehensive training, personalized support in real estate, finance, site build-out, sales, POS training, marketing, recruitment, and on-site training. Requires minimum liquidity of $200K and net worth of $600K.
Quantifiable outcome
- On-time, every-time delivery guarantee for corporate catering orders
Companies that use Apple Spice
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Apple Spice technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Apple Spice partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Apple Spice competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ezCater: Online B2B catering marketplace that aggregates thousands of restaurants for corporate catering orders. Comparable in corporate catering target market, but acts as a demand-aggregation channel that individual operators (including Apple Spice franchisees) must participate in rather than compete against directly.
- Cater2.me: Corporate catering and office meal program provider for tech companies and other large employers. Directly comparable in the corporate office catering use case, differentiated by an employer-partner model rather than a single-brand franchise.
- Fooda: Corporate cafeteria and pop-up catering platform serving offices with rotating local restaurants. Targets the same corporate lunch occasion with a tech-enabled model; competes for the same office catering budget pool.
Broad incumbents
- Panera Bread: National bakery-cafe chain with a well-developed catering program for corporate box lunches, breakfast, and group orders. Comparable in scratch-baking positioning and B2B catering emphasis, though it operates company-owned retail cafes rather than a dedicated catering franchise.
- Chick-fil-A Catering: Major QSR with a robust catering program covering boxed meals, breakfast trays, and party platters for offices and events. Comparable in B2B corporate catering focus and breakfast/lunch occasion coverage.
Direct peers
- Jimmy John's: National sandwich franchise with a corporate catering program for box lunches and party platters. Competes head-to-head with Apple Spice for office lunch orders, with a larger national footprint and stronger delivery infrastructure.
- Jersey Mike's Subs: National sub sandwich franchise with an aggressive corporate catering and box-lunch program targeting offices and events. Closest direct competitor in office sandwich catering, differentiated by sub-shop model and broader national footprint.
- Potbelly Sandwich Shop: Sandwich-focused chain with a corporate catering and box-lunch program for offices and events. Comparable in the corporate lunch occasion and scratch-cooked positioning, and also operates a mix of company-owned and franchised locations.
- Subway Catering: Global sandwich chain with a long-standing corporate catering program for box lunches, platters, and breakfast. Direct competitor in the office sandwich catering segment with a franchise model and a similar price-positioned offering.
Regional players
- HoneyBaked Ham: Specialty food retailer and caterer with a strong corporate catering and box-lunch program. Comparable in corporate catering and box-lunch offering with a more limited geographic footprint and a different core product focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Apple Spice social profiles
Digital presenceApple Spice financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Apple Spice leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Apple Spice funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Apple Spice M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Apple Spice
What does Apple Spice do?
Apple Spice is a franchise-based corporate catering company that prepares and delivers individually labeled box lunches, hot and cold catering platters, breakfast catering, and sandwich platters to businesses and event venues. Each meal features bread baked from scratch daily in-store, premium deli meats and cheeses, and a signature freshly baked cookie, with dietary accommodations including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options available on request.
Is Apple Spice a public or private company?
Apple Spice is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Apple Spice founded?
Apple Spice was founded in 1988. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Apple Spice based?
Apple Spice is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Apple Spice make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Box Lunch Catering is the primary driver. The others are hot Food & Event Catering, breakfast Catering, franchise Fees and apple Spice Rewards Program.
Who are Apple Spice's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ezCater, Cater2.me and Fooda. Broad incumbents are Panera Bread and Chick-fil-A Catering. Direct peers are Jimmy John's, Jersey Mike's Subs, Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Subway Catering. HoneyBaked Ham is listed as a regional player.
Does Apple Spice have an API?
No public API is recorded for Apple Spice.
What industry is Apple Spice in?
Apple Spice's product category is Corporate Catering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAKAF, Soup, Chili & Comfort Foods (Self-Serve or Packaged), with a secondary code of AFAKAHAA, Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 7223 and its SIC code is 2090.