Bruegger's

Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc.

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Bakery café, Restaurant
Founded	1983 (1983) in Troy, New York, U.S.
Founder	Nordahl Brue, Mike Dressell
Headquarters	Burlington , United States
Area served	United States (16 states and District of Columbia)
Key people	James J. Greco (former CEO)
Products	Bagels, cream cheese, egg sandwiches, deli sandwiches, muffins, cookies, side dishes, coffee, espresso beverages, iced drinks, tea, soda
Owner	JAB Holding Company
Parent	JAB Holding Company

Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc. functions as a restaurant operator and is a subsidiary of the Luxembourg-based JAB Holding Company. Together with its fully owned subsidiary, Threecaf Brands Canada, Inc., Bruegger's both franchises and manages bakery-cafés, including the Bruegger's Bagels and Michel's Baguette brands.

Producing approximately 70 million bagels each year, Bruegger's holds the Guinness World Record for creating the largest bagel ever made. It stands as the leading U.S. manufacturer of genuine New York-style kettle-boiled bagels, baking 14 different flavors daily on-site. The company also features Vermont-made cream cheese available in over 11 varieties. Its menu extends to egg sandwiches, deli sandwiches, muffins, cookies, side dishes, coffee, espresso beverages, iced drinks, tea, and soda. As of 2021, Bruegger's operates around 190 outlets across 16 states in the U.S. plus the District of Columbia.

Corporate history

Bruegger's was established in 1983 by entrepreneurs Nordahl Brue and Mike Dressell in Troy, New York. In June 1996, Quality Dining purchased the company for $142 million in stock, with the original founders joining its board of directors. However, due to operational difficulties, Brue and Dressell reacquired Bruegger's in October 1997 for $45 million after advocating for Quality Dining’s restructuring. Brue later referred to this initial sale as his "biggest mistake."

In May 2003, James J. Greco together with private equity firm Sun Capital Partners took ownership of Bruegger's. By 2008, the company reported revenues of $200 million and maintained its headquarters in Burlington, Vermont.

On November 13, 2009, Bruegger's expanded by acquiring the retail divisions of Timothy's World Coffee, mmmuffins, and Michel's Baguette through its subsidiary Threecaf Brands Canada, Inc., adding roughly 140 additional locations.

In March 2011, French firm Groupe Le Duff, which owns La Madeleine restaurants in the U.S., acquired Bruegger's with intentions to merge some outlets with Brioche Dorée locations and incorporate French culinary influences. The brand’s first European café opened in Rennes in 2013.

James J. Greco resigned as CEO at the close of 2011.

On August 24, 2017, Le Duff America sold Bruegger's to Caribou Coffee and its parent company JAB Holdings; financial details were not disclosed. Following this transaction, Bruegger's shuttered 30 stores primarily in Eastern U.S. markets by December 2017.

In April 2018, Threecaf Brands sold Timothy's World Coffee and mmmuffins to Canadian enterprise MTY Food Group for $1.7 million.

Michel's Bakery Café

Michel's Bakery Café—originally known as Michel's Baguettes—is a Canadian bakery-café chain founded in 1980 and based in Toronto. It operates through both corporate-owned and franchised locations throughout Canada and ranks among the nation’s largest bakery-café operators. In 2001, Timothy's Coffees of the World Inc. acquired Michel’s while retaining the Michel’s Baguette brand name. Later in 2009, Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc., via its subsidiary ThreeCaf Brands Canada Inc., purchased Michel’s alongside Timothy’s Coffee and mmmuffins and continued managing these brands. Under Bruegger’s stewardship, Michel’s underwent a rebranding initiative transforming into Michel’s Bakery Café to refresh its market presence and modernize its brand image.

World record

On August 27, 2004, Bruegger's achieved a Guinness World Record by creating the largest bagel ever baked, with a weight of 868 pounds. This remarkable feat took place at the New York State Fair and highlighted the company's creativity and commitment to community involvement, as the enormous bagel was shared with attendees while donations were collected to support local food banks.

See also

• Fast casual restaurant
• List of bakery cafés