Slow Dough Bread
Slow Dough Bread Co. is a Houston-based wholesale artisan bakery founded in 2009, producing 150+ fresh and frozen bread SKUs for 500+ foodservice and grocery accounts across five states via its own delivery fleet, with retail placement at Whole Foods across four states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Slow Dough Bread does
Slow Dough Bread Co. is a Houston-based wholesale artisan bread bakery founded in 2009 by fifth-generation baker Heath Wendell and his wife Marlo Wendell. The company operates a 40,000 square foot HACCP- and SQF-certified manufacturing facility producing a portfolio of over 150 fresh and frozen bread SKUs, including sourdough, multigrain, brioche, pretzel buns and rolls, table artisan breads, and a dedicated vegan line. Production combines long, slow fermentation and traditional artisan techniques with modern high-throughput equipment such as the Koenig bun/roll/hoagie line capable of 9,000 units/hour and Rheon VX-122 Variety Molder for hand-shaped artisan simulation, processing approximately 80,000 pounds of flour weekly.
The business model is wholesale-driven with a retail overlay. Revenue is generated primarily through direct sales to foodservice operators (475 restaurants, hotels, sports stadiums, caterers, schools) and grocery/food service accounts (49 locations) across five states, supplemented by retail placement at Whole Foods Market in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, and nationwide distribution of frozen product via third-party distributors. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with own-fleet direct delivery (15 trucks, 363 days/year, 99% DIFOT) concentrated in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Pricing is quote-based for wholesale and standard retail pricing at grocery; no pricing is publicly disclosed.
The company's positioning rests on five generations of baking heritage (since 1886), all-natural ingredients with no artificial additives, proprietary slow fermentation and maintained sourdough starter cultures, and certified food safety standards. The business is privately held with no disclosed venture or private equity backing, indicating a bootstrapped growth trajectory funded through operational cash flow. A community partnership with Second Servings Houston handles surplus bread donation 3-4 times weekly.
Slow Dough Bread firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Slow Dough Bread
- Legal name
- Slow Dough Bread Co.
- Website
- https://slowdoughbreadco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Slow Dough Bread Co. is a Houston-based wholesale artisan bakery founded in 2009, producing 150+ fresh and frozen bread SKUs for 500+ foodservice and grocery accounts across five states via its own delivery fleet, with retail placement at Whole Foods across four states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Slow Dough Bread industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Artisan Bread Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Commercial Bakeries (311812), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bread & Rolls Manufacturing (AFAKAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Frozen & Par-Baked Bakery Production (THAFAFAK), Refrigerated & Frozen Doughs and Batters Manufacturing (AFAKACAM), Specialty Bakery Manufacturing (Gluten-Free, Artisan, Health-Focused) (AFAKAAAG)
Keywords
Where Slow Dough Bread is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Slow Dough Bread business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Wholesale Bread Sales: Supplying bread products to restaurants, hotels, food service companies, and distributors. Includes fresh and frozen loaves, buns, rolls, table artisan breads, and specialty pretzel products. Over 500 wholesale accounts served.
- Retail Bread Sales: Bagged and artisan breads sold through retail grocery stores including Whole Foods locations in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Products include Sourdough, Multigrain, Whole Wheat, French Loaf, Pain de Mie, Texas Toast, Italian Loaf, Pretzel Bun, and Challah Bun.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Slow Dough Bread product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Slow Dough Bread Co. is a Houston-based wholesale artisan bread bakery that manufactures and distributes over 150 varieties of fresh and frozen bread products. The company serves restaurants, hotels, food service operators, distributors, and retail grocery chains (including Whole Foods) across five states, delivering fresh bread daily via its own fleet of trucks in Texas and shipping frozen products nationwide. Production relies on a slow fermentation process combined with modern manufacturing equipment in a 40,000 sq ft HACCP- and SQF-certified facility.
Product overview
Slow Dough Bread Co. is a Houston-based artisan bakery offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 150 fresh and frozen bread products. The company operates a dual-channel model with retail bagged breads (Sourdough, Multigrain, Whole Wheat, French Loaf, Pain de Mie, Texas Toast, Italian Loaf, Pretzel Bun, Challah Bun) sold at Whole Foods and other retailers, and an extensive wholesale/food service division supplying restaurants, hotels, caterers, and grocers with loaves, buns & rolls, table & artisan breads, pretzel products, and vegan options. Products are available fresh (daily delivery in Houston, Austin, San Antonio via company fleet) or frozen for nationwide distribution. The company emphasizes artisan techniques, long slow fermentation, non-GMO ingredients, and no artificial additives across all product lines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retail Bagged Bread Line Bagged artisan breads sold at retail grocery locations (including Whole Foods in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana), including Sourdough, Multigrain, Whole Wheat, French Loaf, Pain de Mie, Texas Toast, Italian Loaf, Pretzel Bun, and Challah Bun. Made with natural ingredients, non-GMO, no artificial additives, and no high-fructose corn syrup.
- Artisan Bread Line (Retail) Specialty artisan breads available at Whole Foods locations in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, including Baguette, Baguette Demi, Country French, Honey Wheat, Pugliese, Rosemary Sourdough, Rustic Italian, and Sourdough.
- Wholesale Fresh Loaves Bulk bread loaves supplied to food service customers, including Brioche Pullman, Brioche Small Loaf, ButterFlake, Challah with Jalapeno & Cheddar, Cranberry Walnut, Harvest, Marble Rye, Multigrain, Pain de Mie, Pumpernickel, Rye, Sourdough, Texas Toast, and Whole Wheat varieties in Pullman and Small Loaf sizes.
- Wholesale Fresh Buns & Rolls Commercial buns and rolls for restaurants, hotels, and food service, including Brioche, ButterFlake, Challah, Potato, Torta Bolillo, Wheat Challah, and Whole Wheat varieties in multiple sizes for burgers, hot dogs, sliders, dinner rolls, and hoagies.
- Wholesale Fresh Table & Artisan Breads Specialty artisan breads for food service, including Challah 6-Braid, Cranberry Walnut Batard/Boule, Focaccia, Multigrain Batard/Boule, Pugliese, and Pumpernickel Batard/Boule available in various weights.
- Wholesale Fresh Pretzel Products Pretzel breads including Pretzel (13oz, 4oz, 6oz), Pretzel Bun (4oz, 5oz), Pretzel Dinner Roll (1oz, 1.5oz), Pretzel Hoagie (1.5oz-5oz), and Pretzel Stick (1.5oz Short/Regular) for food service and retail.
- Wholesale Fresh Vegan Bread Line Plant-based fresh bread products including Ciabatta varieties (Bollo, Baton, Boule with Cornmeal, Demi, Epi, Panini, POSCOL, Rustic Hoagie), Filone Batard, French Baguette, French Baguette Demi, French Roll Hoagie, Harvest Batard, Harvest Dinner Roll, Sourdough Batard, Sourdough Baton, Sourdough Boule, and Pumpernickel/Rye Dinner Rolls.
- Frozen Pretzel Products Frozen pretzel products including Pretzel (13oz), Pretzel Bun (4oz), and Pretzel Stick Short (1.5oz) for extended shelf life distribution nationwide.
- Frozen Buns & Rolls Frozen buns and rolls including Challah Bun (3oz), Challah Dinner Roll (1oz), Challah Hoagie (4oz 6"), Challah Lobster Roll (2oz or 3oz), Potato Bun (3.5oz), Soft Torta Hoagie (6oz 8"), and Whole Wheat Bun (3oz).
- Frozen Loaves Frozen bread loaves including ButterFlake Small Loaf (1lb 7oz), Hearty Seed Small Loaf (12oz), and Whole Wheat Small Loaf variants with and without oats.
- Frozen Table & Artisan Breads Frozen artisan breads including Focaccia Rosemary available in 1lb 4oz or 3lb half sheet sizes.
- Frozen Vegan Products Frozen vegan breads including Ciabatta Bollo (4oz, full bake), Ciabatta Panini (6oz), Ciabatta Rustic Hoagie (8oz), Filone Batard (2lb), French Baguette (1lb 1oz), French Roll Hoagie (2oz-6oz), Pretzel Bun (5oz), Sourdough Batard (2lb), and Sourdough Baton (1lb).
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% DIFOT (Delivery In Full On Time)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Slow Dough Bread
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Slow Dough Bread technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Slow Dough Bread partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Second Servings HoustonminorSlow Dough works closely with Houston's Second Servings to provide surplus bread three to four times a week. The bread goes to families and community centers in need, reducing food waste and giving back to the community.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Slow Dough Bread competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- La Brea Bakery: La Brea Bakery is a leading U.S. artisan bread manufacturer producing sourdough, rustic loaves, and buns for retail and foodservice. Directly comparable to Slow Dough in product mix, artisan positioning, and dual retail/foodservice go-to-market.
- Boudin Bakery: Boudin Bakery is an iconic sourdough-focused commercial bakery with retail storefronts and wholesale distribution. Directly comparable artisan heritage, sourdough specialization, and foodservice/retail dual-channel model.
- Dave's Killer Bread: Dave's Killer Bread is a premium, organic, non-GMO packaged bread brand now owned by Flowers Foods. Directly comparable premium clean-label positioning, retail bagged-bread model, and Whole Foods distribution presence.
- Klosterman Baking Company: Klosterman Baking is a regional commercial bakery producing breads, buns, and rolls for foodservice and retail across the Midwest. Comparable wholesale-focused commercial bakery model with regional direct-delivery and foodservice account base.
- Eurobake: Eurobake is a commercial artisan bread and bun manufacturer supplying foodservice and retail with par-baked and finished products. Comparable wholesale artisan bread model with frozen and par-baked product offerings for foodservice distribution.
- St Pierre Groupe: St Pierre Groupe is a commercial bakery specializing in brioche, baguettes, and other artisan-style breads distributed in U.S. retail and foodservice channels. Comparable premium artisan positioning and retail/foodservice dual-channel distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Pepperidge Farm: Pepperidge Farm (Campbell Soup subsidiary) is a major national baked-goods manufacturer producing breads, rolls, and cookies for retail and foodservice. A broad incumbent competing in the same buns, rolls, and artisan-style bread categories at national scale.
- Flowers Foods: Flowers Foods is one of the largest U.S. producers of packaged breads and rolls (Wonder, Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread). A broad incumbent competing on buns, rolls, and branded bread at national foodservice and retail scale.
- Grupo Bimbo (Bimbo Bakeries USA): Bimbo Bakeries USA is the U.S. arm of Grupo Bimbo, the world's largest bakery company, producing breads, buns, and sweet baked goods. A broad incumbent with significant foodservice and retail overlap in buns, rolls, and table breads.
Emerging players
- Canyon Bakehouse: Canyon Bakehouse is a specialty gluten-free bread brand distributed nationally in retail and foodservice. Comparable specialty/health-focused positioning and retail distribution model, though focused on gluten-free rather than artisan heritage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Slow Dough Bread social profiles
Digital presenceSlow Dough Bread compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Slow Dough Bread financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Slow Dough Bread leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Slow Dough Bread funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Slow Dough Bread 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 Slow Dough Bread
What does Slow Dough Bread do?
Slow Dough Bread Co. is a Houston-based wholesale artisan bread bakery that manufactures and distributes over 150 varieties of fresh and frozen bread products. The company serves restaurants, hotels, food service operators, distributors, and retail grocery chains (including Whole Foods) across five states, delivering fresh bread daily via its own fleet of trucks in Texas and shipping frozen products nationwide. Production relies on a slow fermentation process combined with modern manufacturing equipment in a 40,000 sq ft HACCP- and SQF-certified facility.
Is Slow Dough Bread a public or private company?
Slow Dough Bread is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Slow Dough Bread founded?
Slow Dough Bread was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Slow Dough Bread based?
Slow Dough Bread is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Slow Dough Bread make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Bread Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Bread Sales.
Who are Slow Dough Bread's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are La Brea Bakery, Boudin Bakery, Dave's Killer Bread, Klosterman Baking Company, Eurobake and St Pierre Groupe. Broad incumbents are Pepperidge Farm, Flowers Foods and Grupo Bimbo (Bimbo Bakeries USA). Canyon Bakehouse is listed as an emerging player.
Does Slow Dough Bread have an API?
No public API is recorded for Slow Dough Bread.
What industry is Slow Dough Bread in?
Slow Dough Bread's product category is Wholesale Artisan Bread Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAAAA, Bread & Rolls Manufacturing, with a secondary code of THAFAFAK, Frozen & Par-Baked Bakery Production. Its NAICS code is 311812 and its SIC code is 2050.