About Empire Bakery Commissary, a Wholesale Dessert Manufacturer
Empire Bakery Commissary is a commercial bakery manufacturer that has been helping retailers meet their bakery needs since 1997. Based in Rocky Mount, Virginia, we combine large-scale production, skilled hand-decorating, and collaborative product development to serve in-store bakeries, club stores, convenience stores, and foodservice businesses nationwide.
Our emphasis on innovation, speed to market, and hands-on collaboration translates to nimble, creative solutions that reduce your in-store labor and align with your brand. With nationwide shipping, custom products and designs, and a team that truly wants to get to know you, Empire Bakery Commissary makes sourcing distinctive bakery goods easy.
Our History
From our family to yours. We love to share our passion for food and fun, as seen by Mary Marek — mother of our founder, Len Marek — and her remarkable holiday dessert table.
We got our start helping a major retailer solve a dessert need, and nearly 30 years later we’re still collaborating with retailers to deliver what their customers want.
Founded by Len Marek in 1997 in Roanoke, Virginia, Empire Bakery Commissary was created to meet the dessert needs of a major grocery chain. For over a decade, we grew our customer base of traditional retailers and grocery stores through our mix of innovation, efficiency, and hands-on collaboration.
In 2010, Empire relocated to a larger production plant in Franklin County, Virginia, in the town of Rocky Mount to facilitate both precision and speed. In 2020, we expanded even further, adding 35,000 square feet and over 2,000 frozen pallet positions to increase efficiency and better serve both our 200+ associates and our customers across the country.
We’re proud of our history, but we always keep an eye to the future too. As we grow, we’ve moved away from artificial food coloring to meet consumer demand and help our customers prepare for changing requirements. At every stage, Empire is characterized by skillful, well-crafted products and streamlined delivery that makes working with us easy.
Our Commitment to Consistency and Craft
From speed to market to food safety, we’re committed to quality. Empire Bakery Commissary is SQF Food Safety Code for Food Manufacturing and Kosher certified. We’re also proudly part of the CHEP pallet program to boost our efficiency and sustainability.
Our plant features 8 automated and semi-automated decorating lines with hand-finishing.
To keep labor low for our customers, we also proudly employ skilled decorators who create handmade roses and tops for our cakes. Their impeccable work takes place in a separate controlled Rose Room, ensuring quality and consistency.
More About Empire Bakery
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We are a wholesale commissary bakery that makes handcrafted desserts at scale. We serve as a dessert supplier for in-store bakeries, club stores, dessert manufacturers, major retailers nationwide, convenience stores, and traditional grocery retailers.
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As an industrial bakery, we provide ready to decorate and fully decorated cakes including dessert cakes, bar cakes, seasonal cakes, cupcakes, occasion cakes and message cookies and brownies. We offer hand-piping options, off-production-line décor like flowers and chocolate bark, and buttercreme roses. We also provide single-serve desserts and thaw and serve products that reduce labor and execution for our customers. In addition to our sweet offerings, Empire Bakery Commissary offers savory items including crostini and cornbread crisps.
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Empire bakery proudly maintains a SQF Food Safety Code for Food Manufacturing. We are Kosher certified and participate in the CHEP pallet program.
Get Solutions that Rise to the Occasion
At Empire Bakery Commissary, our key ingredients are innovation, hand-decorated products, a collaborative approach, speed to market and the ability to reduce your in-store labor. Contact us if you’re looking for a partner to help you deliver distinctive bakery products.