Bread and Chocolate
Bread and Chocolate is a privately held Washington DC area artisan bakery and café founded in 1978, operating two retail locations and a 20,000 sq ft production center that serves retail customers, wholesale B2B clients (hotels, restaurants, airports, hospitals), and co-packing customers across the DC metro area.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersAlexandria, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Bread and Chocolate does
Bread and Chocolate is a privately held artisan bakery and café founded in 1978 by Theodore Manousakis and Chef Ernst Moser in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, with a vision of bringing European artisan bread and Viennese and French pastries to the Washington DC market. The company operates two retail café locations (West-End at 2301 M St NW and Chevy Chase at 5542 Connecticut Ave NW), both open 7 days a week from 7 AM to 5 PM, serving dine-in, carryout, and delivery customers. The company's core technology is traditional European artisan baking and Old World pastry production techniques, with a current product portfolio spanning croissants, Danish, French pastries, prepared breakfast/lunch/dinner items, specialty coffee, and a $25 weekend brunch package. Production is anchored by a 20,000 square foot production center in Alexandria, Virginia — built in 1984 and operating with 200+ employees on round-the-clock shifts — which supplies both the retail and wholesale operations.
The business operates on three revenue streams: retail café operations (dine-in, carryout, direct online ordering via mealage.com, and UberEats delivery); wholesale/B2B distribution supplying fine hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, universities, airports, hospitals, sports arenas, and shopping malls; and co-packing services for other companies producing products to client-supplied recipes and specifications. Pricing is premium and à la carte, with main entrées at $11-$18, the Weekend Brunch all-inclusive package at $25 per person, and specialty coffee at $2.20-$4.95. The wholesale and co-packing arms represent the company's primary scale vector, leveraging the 24/7 production capacity to serve institutional and commercial clients across the DC metro area.
Bread and Chocolate firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bread and Chocolate
- Legal name
- Bread and Chocolate, Inc.
- Website
- https://breadandchocolate.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Bread and Chocolate is a privately held Washington DC area artisan bakery and café founded in 1978, operating two retail locations and a 20,000 sq ft production center that serves retail customers, wholesale B2B clients (hotels, restaurants, airports, hospitals), and co-packing customers across the DC metro area.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bread and Chocolate industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Bakery & Café
- NAICS
- Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Bakery Products (2050), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice) (THAFAFAG)
Keywords
Where Bread and Chocolate is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alexandria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Bread and Chocolate business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Café Operations: Dine-in, carryout, and delivery services from two physical café locations serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Wholesale/B2B Distribution: Wholesale business supplying fine hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, universities, airports, hospitals, and other wholesale customers. Products offered at airports, sports arenas, and shopping malls
- Co-packing Services: Production and packaging of products for other companies according to their recipes and specifications
- Catering Services: Catering services available for events and groups
- Third-Party Delivery Platform: Online ordering through UberEats delivery partner
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | — | Weekend Brunch All-Inclusive |
| Unit Pricing | — | Weekend Brunch À La Carte |
| Unit Pricing | — | Full Menu Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | — | Children's Menu |
| Unit Pricing | — | Pastries and Bakery Items |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Bread and Chocolate product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bread and Chocolate operates artisan bakery cafés at two Washington DC locations (Downtown/West-End and Chevy Chase) serving Old World European breads, Viennese and French pastries, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner fare for dine-in, carryout, and delivery. The company also runs a wholesale and co-packing business supplying hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, universities, airports, hospitals, sports arenas, and shopping malls, producing gourmet baked goods and prepared foods from a 20,000 sq ft production center in Alexandria, Virginia.
Product overview
Bread and Chocolate is a privately owned bakery and café founded in 1978, operating as a single unified business with multiple service offerings. The core offering is the bakery and café operation at two Washington DC locations (Downtown DC and Chevy Chase), providing dine-in, carryout, and delivery services. Supporting offerings include Weekend Brunch packages, Catering Services, and a B+C Classics menu of signature dishes. The company also operates a significant Wholesale Business segment, producing and co-packing artisan breads, pastries, and prepared foods for hotels, restaurants, airports, and other commercial clients. The product portfolio centers on European artisan breads, Viennese and French pastries (croissants, Danish, French pastries), prepared foods, and specialty coffee and beverages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retail Bakery and Café Operations Operates two retail bakery cafés in Washington DC (Downtown/West-End at 2301 M St NW and Chevy Chase at 5542 Connecticut Ave NW) serving European artisan breads, Viennese and French pastries, breakfast, lunch, and dinner for dine-in, carryout, and delivery customers seven days a week.
- Weekend Brunch Special weekend brunch service featuring an all-inclusive package at $25 per person (entrée, basket of homemade pastries, mimosa, and coffee) and à la carte options including omelettes ($13.59-$14.59), Eggs Benedict ($14.99), Norwegian Smoked Salmon Platter ($15.99), French Toast ($12.59-$13.59), Belgian Waffles, and mimosas/champagne.
- Catering Services Catering services available for events and gatherings, offering pastries, prepared foods, and full-service catering off-site.
- Wholesale Bakery Distribution Wholesale supply of artisan breads, Viennese and French pastries, and prepared foods to fine hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, universities, airports, hospitals, sports arenas, and shopping malls in the DC metro area.
- Co-Packing Production Services Production and packaging of gourmet food products for other companies according to their recipes and specifications, leveraging the 20,000 sq ft Alexandria production facility and 200+ production staff.
Companies that use Bread and Chocolate
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bread and Chocolate technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Bread and Chocolate partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- UberEatscoreDelivery partnership enabling online order delivery to customers at home or work. Customers can order through UberEats, choose their closest Bread and Chocolate location, and receive delivery of French pastries and prepared foods.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bread and Chocolate competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tatte Bakery & Café: Tatte Bakery & Café is a direct competitor offering European-inspired pastries, baked goods, and café dining across multiple U.S. cities. Highly comparable in product mix (French/Viennese pastries, breakfast, brunch) and premium positioning to Bread and Chocolate.
- Le Pain Quotidien: Le Pain Quotidien operates bakery-cafés serving artisan breads, Viennoiserie, French pastries, and breakfast/brunch fare. The closest direct comparable to Bread and Chocolate's European artisan bakery-café model.
- Levain Bakery: Levain Bakery is a specialty bakery known for artisan cookies and baked goods with retail storefronts and wholesale distribution. Comparable as a privately-held specialty bakery with both retail and wholesale channels serving premium customers.
- Magnolia Bakery: Magnolia Bakery operates retail bakery storefronts serving American and European-style pastries, cakes, and desserts. Comparable in operating a multi-location retail bakery with premium branded products.
- Baked by Melissa: Baked by Melissa is a specialty cupcake and bite-sized baked goods retailer with both retail storefronts and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Comparable as a small-format specialty bakery brand with strong digital ordering.
- Tous Les Jours: Tous Les Jours is a French-Asian bakery-café chain operating retail locations serving artisan bread, Viennoiserie, and cakes. Comparable in operating bakery-cafés with European-style pastries and café menu.
Broad incumbents
- La Colombe: La Colombe operates specialty coffee cafés with food and pastry offerings. Comparable as a cafe-dining operator offering breakfast, lunch, and pastries to urban customers, though broader in coffee focus.
- Au Bon Pain: Au Bon Pain is a bakery-café chain offering artisan breads, pastries, sandwiches, and coffee. Comparable as a bakery-café concept serving breakfast/lunch with wholesale distribution to institutional clients.
- Panera Bread: Panera Bread is a national bakery-café chain offering artisan breads, pastries, soups, and sandwiches. Comparable as a bakery-café concept serving a similar menu, though operating at a much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
Emerging players
- Bread & Butter Catering: Bread & Butter Catering is a catering and prepared foods operator serving the DC metro area. Comparable in the local DC market for catering and prepared food services, with overlap in target events/customers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bread and Chocolate social profiles
Digital presenceBread and Chocolate financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bread and Chocolate leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Bread and Chocolate funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bread and Chocolate 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 Bread and Chocolate
What does Bread and Chocolate do?
Bread and Chocolate operates artisan bakery cafés at two Washington DC locations (Downtown/West-End and Chevy Chase) serving Old World European breads, Viennese and French pastries, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner fare for dine-in, carryout, and delivery. The company also runs a wholesale and co-packing business supplying hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, universities, airports, hospitals, sports arenas, and shopping malls, producing gourmet baked goods and prepared foods from a 20,000 sq ft production center in Alexandria, Virginia.
Is Bread and Chocolate a public or private company?
Bread and Chocolate is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bread and Chocolate founded?
Bread and Chocolate was founded in 1978. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Bread and Chocolate based?
Bread and Chocolate is headquartered in Alexandria, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bread and Chocolate make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Café Operations are the primary driver. The others are wholesale/B2B Distribution, co-packing Services, catering Services and third-Party Delivery Platform.
Who are Bread and Chocolate's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tatte Bakery & Café, Le Pain Quotidien, Levain Bakery, Magnolia Bakery, Baked by Melissa and Tous Les Jours. Broad incumbents are La Colombe, Au Bon Pain and Panera Bread. Bread & Butter Catering is listed as an emerging player.
Does Bread and Chocolate have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bread and Chocolate.
What industry is Bread and Chocolate in?
Bread and Chocolate's product category is Specialty Bakery & Café. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAFAG, Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice). Its NAICS code is 31181 and its SIC code is 2050.