BUTTER BAKERY CAFE LLC

What BUTTER BAKERY CAFE LLC does

Butter Bakery Cafe LLC is a privately held, founder-owned neighborhood cafe and bakery that operated from a single storefront at 3700 Nicollet Avenue in Southwest Minneapolis from 2006 until permanent closure on December 31, 2025. The business served the Kingfield and Lyndale neighborhoods with from-scratch coffee, espresso, loose-leaf tea, daily-baked pastries (scones, biscuits, eclairs, cinnamon biscuits, the Hope butter-laden buttermilk biscuit designated Minnesota's State Biscuit), and a scratch kitchen menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, biscuit sandwiches, and a house-made vegetarian beet-carrot burger. Special orders were accommodated with a two-day turnaround, and pizza dough balls were sold at retail for home use.

The operating model was direct-to-consumer retail with three revenue streams: walk-in cafe and bakery sales, online ordering for takeout via Square, and a Community Supported Bakery (CSB) subscription program offering weekly bread share pickups. The cafe also hosted Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) pickups for partner farms including St. Croix Valley Co-Op, Whetstone Farm, and Hmong American Farmers Association, generating incremental foot traffic and cross-selling. Ingredient sourcing emphasized local suppliers: Hope Creamery butter, Swany Flour Mill and Whole Grain Milling flours, Frontier Co-op spices, Tea Source loose-leaf teas, and coffees from local independent roasters (True Stone, Roastery 7, Fika, City Girl, Wildflyer). Since 2012, the business partnered with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative to provide workforce training and mentorship for at-risk youth from Nicollet Square housing, training 67 residents over 13 years, 19 of whom joined the staff of 230 neighbors cumulatively employed.

The company was structured as a Minnesota LLC and certified as a General Benefit Corporation in 2019 to formalize its mission orientation. In April 2017 it adopted a no-tip pricing model to support fair wages, with a starting base wage of $16.75 for staff. The business was funded through SBA debt (initial loan via Sunrise Bank in 2016 for facility buildout and lease commitment, refinanced during COVID-19), not equity, and operated without institutional investors, subsidiaries, or a parent entity. Following owner Dan Swenson-Klatt's retirement on December 31, 2025, the business ceased operations.

Name

BUTTER BAKERY CAFE LLC

Legal name

Butter Bakery Cafe LLC

Website

https://butterbakerycafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Butter Bakery Cafe LLC was a single-location, founder-owned cafe and bakery in Southwest Minneapolis serving coffee, scratch-baked pastries, and a from-scratch kitchen menu to the Kingfield and Lyndale neighborhoods from 2006 until permanent closure on December 31, 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Bakery Cafe

NAICS

Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice) (THAFAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee cafe
• Artisan bakery goods
• Breakfast pastries
• Espresso beverages
• Neighborhood cafe

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cafe and Bakery Retail Sales: On-site sales of coffee, teas, breakfast items, lunch fare, bakery items (scones, biscuits, eclairs, cakes, cookies, pies), and specialty beverages. Customers dine in or take out.
2. Community Supported Bakery (CSB) Subscription: Weekly bread share subscription program where customers invest upfront and pick up fresh baked bread loaves or rolls each week during the season. Winter session runs 10 weeks for $75. Payment plans available.
3. Special Orders: Custom bakery orders accepted with two-day turnaround, accommodating dietary needs and special occasions.
4. CSA Pickup Hosting: Hosts Community Supported Agriculture pickups for partner farms (St. Croix Valley Co-Op, Whetstone Farm, Hmong American Farmers Association), generating foot traffic and cross-selling opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Butter Bakery Cafe LLC operated a single-location neighborhood bakery and cafe at 3700 Nicollet Ave in Minneapolis, MN, serving scratch-baked pastries and breads, espresso and coffee drinks, teas, and a small from-scratch kitchen menu that included items such as pizza dough balls. The business also accepted special orders and hosted a Community Supported Bakery (CSB) bread share program, and it ceased operations on December 31, 2025.

Product overview

Butter Bakery Cafe is a neighborhood-based, family-run cafe and bakery serving Southwest Minneapolis since 2006. As a Social Benefit Corporation, it operates as a single-location cafe offering fresh-brewed coffee and espresso beverages, a daily fresh-baked pastry case (scones, biscuits, eclairs, cakes, cookies), scratch-made kitchen items (breakfast biscuit sandwiches, soups, salads, sandwiches), pizza dough balls for retail, and special orders. The cafe also runs subscription programs including Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) partnerships with local farms and Community Supported Bakery Shares (CSB) for weekly bread subscriptions. A youth internship program in partnership with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative provides work experience for at-risk youth residents of Nicollet Square housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialty Coffee and Espresso Drinks

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over 100,000 biscuit sandwiches and 100,000 scones over 20 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Beacon Interfaith Housing CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership since 2012 connecting Butter to young adults living above at Nicollet Square. Butter serves as worksite and mentor location for youth who have been homeless or are at risk. Over 13 years, provided thousands of working hours with 67 residents trained and 19 joining staff.
• Wildflyer CoffeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting work mentorship for youth experiencing homelessness. Butter serves Wildflyer coffee alongside other local roasters.
• St. Croix Valley Co-Op (Amish Cooperative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Community Supported Agriculture pickups at Butter location. St. Croix Valley CSA provides fresh produce for CSA members picking up at Butter.
• Whetstone FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainably farming in Clear Lake, WI. Hosts CSA pickups at Butter location for farm members.
• Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts HAFA CSA pickups at Butter location, supporting Hmong-American farmers and local food systems.
• Tea SourcecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides loose leaf hot and iced teas for the menu. Developed in partnership with Tea Source for a lovely menu of teas including house-made spicy chai called Mischief Maker.
• Swany Flour Mill and Whole Grain MillingcoreOthersLocal flour and grain suppliers for Community Bakery Shares bread products and cafe baking needs.
• Hope CreamerycoreOthersProvides butter for bakery operations including the Hope butter-laden buttermilk biscuit designated as Minnesota's State Biscuit.
• Frontier Co-opminorOthersProvides spices for bakery and kitchen operations from Iowa-based cooperative.
• Local Coffee Roasters (True Stone, Roastery 7, Fika, City Girl, Wildflyer)coreOthersFeatures fair-trade organic coffees from local independent roasters. Cold brew is a Minneapolis fan favorite. Espresso uses Roastery 7's Espresso Nueva and Swiss Water Decaf.
• MNimize / Hennepin County / Waste WiseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipating business in MNimize campaign recognizing food service businesses reducing disposable plastic. Campaign launched by Waste Wise and Hennepin County providing free support and $1,000 rebate for sustainability improvements.
• Open Arms MinnesotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipated in Twin Cities-wide bake sale fundraiser supporting meal delivery for people with life-threatening illnesses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Black Sheep Coffee: Minneapolis independent coffee shop with a focus on community and quality drinks. Comparable as a neighborhood-rooted Twin Cities cafe serving locally-roasted coffee in a community gathering format.
• Spyhouse Coffee: Minneapolis independent coffee roaster and cafe operator with neighborhood locations. Comparable as a Minneapolis-based cafe serving specialty coffee from local roasters with community-driven brand identity.
• Patisserie 46: Minneapolis-based French-style bakery and cafe specializing in pastries, breads, and coffee. Directly comparable as a single-location independent cafe-bakery operating in the Twin Cities market with similar scratch baking and coffee program.
• Rise Bagel Co: Minneapolis bagel shop and cafe serving breakfast and lunch fare from-scratch. Comparable as a local, scratch-made bakery-cafe in the Twin Cities with neighborhood community positioning.
• Breadsmith: Franchised neighborhood bakery specializing in artisan breads, pastries, and baked goods. Comparable as a retail bakery operator with from-scratch production and neighborhood-storefront format, though primarily bread-focused rather than cafe-hybrid.
• Great Harvest Bread Co: Franchise bakery-cafe concept baking whole grain breads and pastries daily in each location. Comparable as a neighborhood bakery with community integration, scratch baking, and bread-subscription-adjacent offerings.

Regional players

• Caribou Coffee: Minneapolis-headquartered coffee chain with broad bakery and breakfast sandwich offerings across the Upper Midwest. Comparable as a Twin Cities-based cafe brand with cafe-bakery hybrid menu, though at much larger scale.
• Dunn Bros Coffee: Minnesota-founded coffee franchise headquartered in the Twin Cities with neighborhood cafes across the Midwest. Comparable as a Minnesota-rooted cafe operator with similar scratch-food and coffee offerings, though operating at franchise scale.

Broad incumbents

• Panera Bread: National cafe-bakery chain offering coffee, scratch-baked breads, soups, sandwiches, and bakery items. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the cafe-bakery category with similar menu structure combining bakery case and kitchen menu items.

Emerging players

• Dogwood Coffee: Minneapolis-based small-batch coffee roaster with a cafe location serving specialty coffee and light cafe fare. Comparable as a Twin Cities independent cafe operator emphasizing local roasting partnerships and community connection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/butterbakerycafe
• Instagraminstagram.com/butterbakerycafe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/butter-bakery-cafe-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 BUTTER BAKERY CAFE LLC