Acme Bread
Acme Bread is a privately held, founder-owned artisanal bakery founded in 1983 in Berkeley, California, producing over 100 SKUs of organic bread, rolls, buns, and pastries via 18–40 hour fermentation. It sells through two retail stores, two wholesale offices, farmers' markets, and partners serving Bay Area, Sacramento, and nationwide customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Acme Bread does
The Acme Bread Company is a privately held, founder-owned artisanal bakery founded in 1983 by Steve and Suzie Sullivan in Berkeley, California. It produces and sells over 100 SKUs of breads, rolls and buns, and pastries, including Pain au Levain, Sourdough, Sweet Baguettes, croissants, and seasonal items, all made with 100% organic flour sourced from Central Milling and Keith Giusto Bakery Supply since 1999. Its core technical process is long fermentation, with most breads requiring 18 to 40 hours from start to finish, a craft discipline that anchors product differentiation.
The company operates two retail locations (Berkeley on San Pablo Avenue and the San Francisco Ferry Building), two wholesale distribution offices (Berkeley and South San Francisco), three farmers' markets (Ferry Building, Sunnyvale, Mountain View), and a Sacramento distribution partnership with independent distributor Roseville Bread Co. Nationwide shipping is enabled through a channel partnership with Frog Hollow Farm, and local delivery is fulfilled through Mercato, DoorDash, and Good Eggs. Last-mile logistics is supported by a partially electrified fleet, including two electric delivery trucks acquired in 2024, and the Berkeley wholesale bakery runs on photovoltaic electricity installed in 2008.
Revenue is generated through direct retail sales (including reloadable gift cards), wholesale distribution to cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores, third-party delivery commissions, and nationwide shipping via Frog Hollow Farm. No public pricing, revenue, or headcount data is disclosed; the company is privately held with no institutional capital, parent company, or acquisition activity indicated. Customer segments are split between Bay Area individual consumers and a fragmented base of Bay Area and Sacramento wholesale food-service buyers, with a long-standing relationship with Chez Panisse tracing back to the company's founding.
Acme Bread firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Acme Bread
- Legal name
- The Acme Bread Company
- Website
- https://acmebread.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Acme Bread is a privately held, founder-owned artisanal bakery founded in 1983 in Berkeley, California, producing over 100 SKUs of organic bread, rolls, buns, and pastries via 18–40 hour fermentation. It sells through two retail stores, two wholesale offices, farmers' markets, and partners serving Bay Area, Sacramento, and nationwide customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Acme Bread industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisanal Bakery
- NAICS
- Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Commercial Bakeries (311812), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Food Stores (5400), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery) (THAFAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Bakery & Desserts Delivery (CRAHAIAK), Wholesale / Commercial Bakeries (B2B Supply) (THAFAFAF), DTC Bakery & Desserts Delivery (AFAIANAF)
Keywords
Where Acme Bread is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Acme Bread business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retail Sales: Direct sales of fresh bread and pastries at two company-owned retail locations in Berkeley and San Francisco Ferry Building, as well as at local farmers' markets.
- Wholesale Distribution: Bulk bread sales to cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores across the Bay Area and Sacramento region. Businesses apply through intake forms and complete credit application process.
- Third-Party Marketplace Sales: Products sold through Frog Hollow Farm for nationwide shipping, and through Mercato and DoorDash for local delivery in San Francisco.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels4 records
Acme Bread product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Acme Bread is an artisan bakery producing over 100 products, including breads, rolls and buns, pastries, pizza, and focaccia, all baked fresh daily with 100% organic flour using long fermentation (18–40 hours). Products are sold through two company-owned retail shops in Berkeley and the San Francisco Ferry Building, wholesale accounts serving cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores across the Bay Area, and additional channels including farmers' markets, partner grocery stores, third-party delivery (DoorDash, Mercato), Good Eggs, and nationwide shipping via Frog Hollow Farm.
Product overview
Acme Bread is an artisan bakery company offering a unified portfolio of fresh bread and pastry products. The core offerings consist of Breads (over 100 varieties including Pain au Levain, Sourdough, and Sweet Baguettes), Rolls & Buns (Challah, Kaiser, Sub, Burger, and Hot Dog varieties), and Pastries & More (Croissants, Almond Croissants, Pain au Chocolat, Biscuits). All products are made with 100% organic flour since 1999. Products are sold through company-owned retail locations, wholesale accounts for businesses, farmers markets, and via delivery partners. The company operates Berkeley and SF Ferry Building retail shops, Berkeley and South San Francisco wholesale offices, and distributes to the Sacramento area through Roseville Bread Co.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Breads Artisan breads baked fresh daily with 100% organic flour, including Pain au Levain, Sourdough, Sweet Baguettes, Hearty Whole Grain Loaves, and over 100 different bread varieties in total. Sold at Acme's Berkeley and SF Ferry Building retail shops, through wholesale accounts, and at farmers' markets.
- Rolls & Buns A variety of rolls and buns made with organic ingredients, including Challah rolls (plain, poppy, sesame), Pain au Levain rolls, Herb rolls, Kaiser rolls, Sub rolls, Burger buns, Hot Dog buns, and specialty deli rolls. Sold at retail locations and through wholesale.
- Pastries & More Pastries and additional baked goods including Croissants, Almond Croissants, Pain au Chocolat, Cheddar and Chive Biscuits, Jam Biscuits, Cinnamon Swirls, Sourdough Cheese Rolls, and seasonal offerings. Sold at retail locations and through wholesale.
- Wholesale Bread Supply Bulk artisan bread supply program for foodservice and grocery operators. Businesses apply through intake forms and complete a credit application. Division II (Berkeley) services East Bay and North Bay; Division III (South San Francisco) services South Bay, Peninsula, and San Francisco. Sacramento area serviced by Roseville Bread Co.
- Wholesale Bread Supply Bulk artisan bread supply program for foodservice and grocery operators. Businesses apply through intake forms and complete a credit application. Division II (Berkeley) services East Bay and North Bay; Division III (South San Francisco) services South Bay, Peninsula, and San Francisco. Sacramento area serviced by Roseville Bread Co.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 different products baked with 100% organic flour
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Acme Bread
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Acme Bread technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature2 records
Acme Bread partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Roseville Bread CocoreIndependent distribution company distributing Acme Bread to stores and restaurants in the greater Sacramento area. Contact: Marty at (916) 257-9046.
- Frog Hollow FarmcoreRegenerative organic farm located 50 miles east of Acme Bread that carries and ships a selection of Acme Bread products nationwide.
- MercatominorLocal delivery partner for San Francisco Ferry Building location orders.
- DoorDashminorDelivery partner for San Francisco Ferry Building location orders.
- Equator CoffeesminorProvides Mocha Java coffee from Equator Coffees, brewed on Ground Control brewers, for the Ferry Building bakery coffee service.
- Edible Schoolyard ProjectminorCommunity partnership actively participating in programs that promote healthy and accessible food.
- Central Milling and Keith Giusto Bakery SupplycorePrimary flour suppliers. Keith Giusto's family has been involved in organic grain selection, milling, and baking in the Bay Area for three generations via Giusto's Vita Grain founded in 1940.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Acme Bread competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tartine Bakery: San Francisco-based artisan bakery founded around the same era, renowned for naturally leavened breads and pastries. Directly comparable as a craft, Bay Area-rooted bakery competing for the same premium consumer and chef customer.
- Semifreddi's: Bay Area wholesale artisan bakery supplying breads to cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores. Closely matches Acme's wholesale-led business model and geographic footprint in Northern California foodservice.
- Della Fattoria: Petaluma-based artisan bread maker known for hand-shaped, naturally leavened loaves. Comparable as a Northern California craft bakery serving both retail and wholesale customers with a similar time-intensive process.
- Firebrand Artisan Breads: Oakland-based artisan bakery producing handmade breads and pastries for wholesale and retail. Direct competitor in the East Bay wholesale and farmers' market channels.
- Grace Baking: Oakland-based wholesale artisan bakery supplying restaurants, grocery, and foodservice across the Bay Area. Direct competitor in the wholesale artisan bread segment with overlapping customer base.
- Metropolis Baking Co. Bay Area wholesale artisan bakery producing organic and conventional breads for foodservice and grocery. Closely comparable in scale, channel mix (wholesale-led), and organic positioning.
Broad incumbents
- La Brea Bakery: Los Angeles-originated artisan bread brand now owned by Aryzta, with national distribution and a frozen/par-baked product line. Comparable as a craft-positioned bakery but operating at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- Boudin Bakery: San Francisco sourdough institution with flagship retail locations and broader mass-market distribution. Overlaps with Acme on SF Bay Area heritage and sourdough positioning but operates at significantly larger scale with more tourist-driven retail.
Regional players
- Arizmendi Bakery: Berkeley-based worker cooperative bakery with multiple East Bay locations serving retail customers. Comparable as a community-oriented Bay Area artisan bakery, though structurally different as a cooperative with a stronger retail/counter focus.
Emerging players
- Bread SRSLY: San Francisco-based sourdough-focused bakery with a specialty dietary (gluten-free) positioning and DTC shipping. Comparable as a Bay Area craft bread brand, but smaller and differentiated by its gluten-free niche rather than heritage/wholesale breadth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Acme Bread social profiles
Digital presenceAcme Bread financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Acme Bread leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Acme Bread funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Acme 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 Acme Bread
What does Acme Bread do?
Acme Bread is an artisan bakery producing over 100 products, including breads, rolls and buns, pastries, pizza, and focaccia, all baked fresh daily with 100% organic flour using long fermentation (18–40 hours). Products are sold through two company-owned retail shops in Berkeley and the San Francisco Ferry Building, wholesale accounts serving cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores across the Bay Area, and additional channels including farmers' markets, partner grocery stores, third-party delivery (DoorDash, Mercato), Good Eggs, and nationwide shipping via Frog Hollow Farm.
Is Acme Bread a public or private company?
Acme Bread is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Acme Bread founded?
Acme Bread was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Acme Bread based?
Acme Bread is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Acme Bread make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale Distribution and third-Party Marketplace Sales.
Who are Acme Bread's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tartine Bakery, Semifreddi's, Della Fattoria, Firebrand Artisan Breads, Grace Baking and Metropolis Baking Co.. Broad incumbents are La Brea Bakery and Boudin Bakery. Arizmendi Bakery is listed as a regional player. Bread SRSLY is listed as an emerging player.
Does Acme Bread have an API?
No public API is recorded for Acme Bread.
What industry is Acme Bread in?
Acme Bread's product category is Artisanal Bakery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAFAA, Retail Bakeries (Bread & Daily Bakery), with a secondary code of CRAHAIAK, Online Bakery & Desserts Delivery. Its NAICS code is 311811 and its SIC code is 2050.