What Hartybake does

Hartybake, LLC is an Atlanta-based B2B bakery manufacturer founded in 2012 that produces premium Liège waffles at commercial scale. Its operations are anchored by a 66,000 sq ft purpose-built facility that supports 90+ SKUs across four differentiated formats — the flagship Liège Waffle, a Pre-Sliced Waffle Bun engineered as a sandwich carrier, a Flat Waffle for high-volume builds, and 18g Minis for snack packs and meal kits. All products are built on a traditional Belgian brioche dough formulation with caramelized pearl sugar and are distributed frozen with a 365-day shelf life, with mandatory HACCP, SQF, and FDA compliance underpinning supply into large operators.

The company sells exclusively through B2B channels to foodservice operators (QSR, fast casual, hotels, catering), private label brands, and retail partners (grocery, club, convenience) across all 50 U.S. states. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales rather than subscriptions or licensing, with a go-to-market that combines direct enterprise field sales with foodservice distribution networks. Its stated differentiation is a custom-first model — providing R&D formulation, custom flavor profiles, nutritional targets (high-protein, vegan, keto, low-sugar), inclusions, sizing, and branded packaging — against competitors that offer fixed catalog products.

Hartybake is family-founded, privately held as an LLC, with no disclosed institutional investor or parent company; CEO Mike Gerhard leads the company. Growth levers visible in the data include an expanding better-for-you product line co-developed with ingredient supplier Bay State Milling (announced May 2025), the Waffle Bun launch into sandwich dayparts, and the scaling of private label and retail programs. The business carries no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, and operates within an 11-50 employee band, with strategic posture oriented to deepening penetration of North American B2B bakery channels rather than cross-border expansion.

Name

Hartybake

Legal name

Hartybake, LLC

Website

https://hartybake.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hartybake is an Atlanta-based B2B bakery manufacturer founded in 2012 that produces premium Liège waffles across four formats (Liège Waffle, Pre-Sliced Waffle Bun, Flat Waffle, Minis) for foodservice operators, private label brands, and retail partners nationwide, with custom formulation and private label capabilities at its 66,000 sq ft SQF-certified facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Waffle Manufacturing

NAICS

Frozen Cakes, Pies, and Other Pastries Manufacturing (311813), Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing (3118)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Bakery Manufacturing (Gluten-Free, Artisan, Health-Focused) (AFAKAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale / Commercial Bakeries (B2B Supply) (THAFAFAF), Breakfast & brunch prepared items manufacturing (AFAKAHAH), Frozen Snacks & Appetizers (CRADADAD)

Keywords

• Liège waffle manufacturing
• Commercial bakery supply
• Frozen waffle production
• Private label baked goods
• Foodservice bakery products

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2B Waffle Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling Liège waffle products to foodservice operators, restaurant groups, and private label brands. Products are sold frozen in various formats (Liège, Pre-Sliced Waffle Bun, Flat Waffle, Minis) with distribution to foodservice and retail channels nationwide.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hartybake manufactures premium Liège waffles using traditional Belgian brioche dough with caramelized pearl sugar, producing four core formats (Liège Waffle, Pre-Sliced Waffle Bun, Flat Waffle, and Minis) in a 66,000 square foot SQF-certified Atlanta facility. The company sells these products on a B2B basis to foodservice operators, restaurant groups, private label brands, and retail partners across the United States, with nationwide frozen distribution and 365-day shelf life. Complementary offerings include custom R&D formulation and private label/white-label programs for partners seeking bespoke flavor profiles, inclusions, nutritional targets (high-protein, vegan, keto, low-sugar), sizes, and branded packaging.

Product overview

Hartybake is North America's premier Liège waffle manufacturer, offering a portfolio of four core waffle products: the flagship Liège Waffle (available in 55g, 65g, and 85g sizes), the Pre-Sliced Waffle Bun (63g and 80g sandwich-ready format), the Flat Waffle (extra-thin crispy format), and the Minis (18g snack-ready format). All products feature Belgian brioche dough with caramelized pearl sugar. The company complements its core products with private label programs and custom formulation services, enabling partners to develop bespoke waffles with custom flavors, sizes, nutritional profiles, and branded packaging. Products are distributed frozen nationwide to foodservice operators, private label brands, and retail partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Liège Waffle Hartybake's flagship frozen Liège waffle built from traditional Belgian brioche dough with caramelized pearl sugar, available in 55g, 65g, and 85g sizes and flavors including Maple, Vanilla, French Toast, Blueberry, Brownie, and Chocolate Chip. Fully baked, ready to thaw-and-serve (with optional heating), and produced at commercial scale for foodservice operators, private label brands, and retail partners across the United States.
• Pre-Sliced Waffle Bun Frozen, fully baked, pre-sliced Liège waffle bun designed as a premium alternative to traditional sandwich carriers, built from Hartybake's signature brioche dough with caramelized pearl sugar. Available in 63g and 80g sizes and Maple, Vanilla, and French Toast flavors. Marketed for sweet and savory handheld menu builds across breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert dayparts in foodservice operations.
• Flat Waffle Extra-thin, crispy Belgian Liège waffle engineered with a uniform surface and sturdier structure to hold up under overstuffed menu builds, available in 55g, 65g, and 40g standard sizes. Designed for ice cream builds, breakfast sandwiches, dessert applications, catering, and other high-volume foodservice use cases requiring a flat, durable waffle platform.
• Minis 18g frozen Liège mini waffles delivering rich, caramelized pearl-sugar flavor in a snack-ready format, available in Blueberry, Birthday Cake, Chocolate Chip, Maple, and Vanilla flavors and packaged in 6.5 LB bulk packs (approximately 164 pieces). Built for snack packs, meal prep kits, and high-volume foodservice and retail applications.
• Private Label Programs Standalone white-label/private-label service for retail and foodservice brand partners that produces custom-branded waffles with bespoke flavors, inclusions, sizes, nutritional profiles (including high-protein, vegan, keto, and low-sugar), and fully branded packaging. Delivered through a discovery-to-delivery process including discovery call, formulation and sampling, production and packaging, and delivery and scale across Hartybake's four core waffle formats.
• Custom Formulations R&D formulation service that develops custom flavor profiles (sweet, savory, or both), inclusions and finishes (fruit, chocolate, herbs, drizzles), better-for-you options (high-protein, vegan, keto, low-sugar), and custom sizes and formats including mini formats for catering and grab-and-go, and sliced/split configurations for sandwich builds. Sits alongside Hartybake's catalog of Liège Waffle, Pre-Sliced Waffle Bun, Flat Waffle, and Minis products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 365-day shelf life for products stored frozen at 0°F (-18°C)

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bay State MillingmoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2025Ingredient supplier partnership focused on developing better-for-you waffle products with enhanced nutritional profiles. The collaboration produced a video case study featuring Hartybake CEO Mike Gerhard and Bay State Milling Business Development Director Courtney Hendrickson discussing the nutritional enhancement of Hartybake's waffle product. This represents a product development partnership aimed at innovation in the better-for-you segment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eggo (Kellanova): Iconic frozen waffle brand owned by Kellanova, the dominant mass-market frozen waffle player in North America. Overlaps with Hartybake in the frozen waffle category but operates a catalog D2C/retail model versus Hartybake's B2B foodservice and private-label focus.
• Conagra Brands: Major packaged food incumbent with a frozen meals and bakery portfolio including frozen breakfast items. Comparable as a scaled B2B/retail frozen foods competitor with private label capabilities that overlap Hartybake's category and channel mix.
• Maple Leaf Foods: Canadian food manufacturer with bakery and prepared foods operations serving retail and foodservice. Comparable as a large-scale, multi-format frozen and prepared bakery producer with private label programs.

Others

• Trader Joe's (private label): Retailer with a substantial frozen bakery private label program, including waffles and Liège-style products, often produced via co-manufacturing partnerships. Relevant comparable for Hartybake's private label go-to-market as a potential customer-side analog rather than a direct competitor.
• Bay State Milling: Ingredient supplier and strategic partner on Hartybake's better-for-you waffle development. Relevant ecosystem participant representing the ingredient/supply side that Hartybake's custom formulation model depends on.

Direct peers

• Vandemoortele: Belgian-headquartered bakery group that produces Liège and brioche waffles for foodservice and retail globally. Most directly comparable manufacturer to Hartybake given shared Liège heritage, B2B foodservice orientation, and multi-format waffle portfolio.
• Aldon Bakery: Custom commercial bakery producing cookies, waffles, and baked snacks for foodservice and private label customers. Comparable as a B2B contract/private-label bakery producing branded and custom-formulated baked goods at scale.

Emerging players

• Enjoy Life Foods: Specialty allergen-free and better-for-you bakery brand with retail and foodservice presence. Comparable as a differentiated, attribute-driven baked goods brand pursuing many of the same dietary positioning levers (vegan, allergen-free, low-sugar) as Hartybake's custom formulations.
• Outstanding Foods: Better-for-you baked snack brand known for protein waffles and cookie products. Comparable to Hartybake in the better-for-you waffle niche with overlapping target customers in retail and foodservice better-for-you menus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Hartybake
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hartybake
• Instagraminstagram.com/hartybake

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hartybake