IBIE - 2019 Special Edition & Show Preview - 123

"I recently came across a gumball machine with
ice cream sundae flavored gumballs. I thought,
'How would those flavors live in a layer cake?'
Curiosity is the great equalizer."
Christina Tosi, founder of Milk Bar

Cookie, layer cakes with unfrosted sides, Cereal Milk

Bakery, the Missouri native has emerged as the toast of

Soft Serve and Milk Bar Pie. The brand name is building

his home state with a premium but "approachable" menu

steadily across the country, especially as online sales

of dessert cakes and pastries, macarons, breakfast pas-

continue to grow and new locations are scouted. A mul-

tries, sandwiches, salads, quiches, sweet snacks, pound

timillion-dollar investment from RSE Ventures, which has

cakes, meringues and jams. When Reid, who won the US

built an impressive stable of cutting-edge food brands,

Pastry Competition in 2010, calls his place "more than a

is helping catapult Milk Bar to the forefront. In a 2017

pastry shop," it's the understatement of the year.

report in Fortune magazine, RSE Ventures CEO Matt
Higgins described Milk Bar's founder Christina Tosi "as

"If your croissants are great, then they'll try the kouign

perhaps the next incarnation of Martha Stewart for this

amann," Reid explains as part of his strategy to feature

generation. We tend to back founders who bring some

a menu of mostly familiar and some lesser known items.

magic to what they're undertaking."

"We've earned our customers' trust."

Tosi is a James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef winner

Opened in 2016, Nathaniel Reid Bakery can be described

who was named one of Fortune's 40 Under 40 and was

as a place that is equal parts "welcoming neighbor-

proﬁled on Chef's Table, the Emmy-nominated docu-

hood bakery and world-class pastry shop." Reid strives

series on Netﬂix. Tosi has authored three cookbooks and

to elevate the ingredients with which he works, creat-

has been a judge on Fox's Masterchef and Masterchef

ing products that taste like the essences of the ﬂavors

Junior. She is often seen sporting her signature bandana,

showcased in his creations. Even the most familiar ﬂavors

searching for new ways to turn familiar ﬂavors and tex-

taste like the best possible version.

tures upside down.
Factoring in the health component
"The ﬂavors we create at Milk Bar aren't necessarily

Generation Z now makes up the largest segment of the

new. They are ﬂavors you probably already know in the

US population, at 26 percent. Retailers that focus on this

back of your mind from your childhood," she says. "I

generation's values in the coming years likely will gain a

recently came across a gumball machine with ice cream

greater share of their dollars.

sundae ﬂavored gumballs. I thought, 'How would those
ﬂavors live in a layer cake?' Curiosity is the great equal-

With Gen Z health and lifestyle trends in mind, Flour

izer. We might be playing around with a ﬂavor and - all

Bakery + Cafe opened its eighth location in Boston in

of a sudden - a failure becomes a steppingstone to a

October 2018, featuring its famous sticky buns, assorted

new ﬂavor application. We're pretty relentless about

pastries, sandwiches and its new WHOLEﬂour line. This

getting the ﬂavor just right. My goal is to be inﬂuential

inventive line includes such signature products as double

and accessible."

chocolate cookies made with 100% rye ﬂour, vegan carrot ginger muffins made with 100% khorasan ﬂour, and

The value of approachable menus

breakfast cookies made with whole wheat ﬂour, pepitas,

Retail bakeries often struggle with the dilemma of how

sunﬂower seeds, millet, ﬂax seeds, coconut ﬂakes, oats,

many products to offer. In big cities like New York or

bananas and maple syrup.

San Francisco, it's highly proﬁtable to specialize with
several signatures, and for this reason, boutique bakeries

Bakery owners including Flour Bakery's Joanne Chang

are ﬂourishing. But in places like the Midwest, the issue

and Tosi are leading a new approach within the retail

becomes more of a challenge.

sector by building powerful brands that connect to
today's consumers in a wide variety of ways. They are

That's why award-winning pastry chef Nathaniel Reid ap-

engaging customers with on-trend products, including

pears to be on to something big in St. Louis. In just two

cleaner labels, as well as putting the fun and excitement

years since opening his ﬁrst retail shop, Nathaniel Reid

back into the equation.

IBIE 2019 PreShow Guide 123

IBIE - 2019 Special Edition & Show Preview

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IBIE - 2019 Special Edition & Show Preview