Bakker Bart and Bakerstreet combine forces

Bart’s Retail, operator of renowned franchise bakery concept Bakker Bart, has combined forces with Bakerstreet, a Dutch independent multi-brand foodservice operator. The combination forms a unique foodservice platform with over €200 million consumer revenues. Bakerstreet offers support to Shell and Albert Heijn for the operation of its well-known formulas deli2go, deli by Shell, Deli Kitchen and Bakery Café. Bakerstreet will accelerate the roll-out of the new Bakker Bart store formula as well as further optimize (store) operations.

Bart’s Retail has been majority owned by Gilde Equity Management for over a decade. During this period the company transformed from an integrated bakery retail organisation towards a focused operator of the Bakker Bart franchise chain and an independent bakery, Grand Duet, supplying multiple customers. Since 2014, both Bart’s Retail and Grand Duet have been managed separately by their own dedicated management teams.

Bakerstreet will succeed Gilde and hold the majority of the shares in the newly created Vital Food Group. Herbert Schalkwijk (CEO of Bart’s Retail) and Henri Froeling (CEO of Bakerstreet) will jointly head the newly-formed company.

Transformation of Bart’s Retail towards an independent franchise bakery chain

Bart’s Retail operates the Bakker Bart franchise concept with 163 bakery outlets throughout the Netherlands. Gilde acquired Bart's Retail from Italy-based Barilla in 2005. Back then, the company consisted of the franchise chain Bakker Bart and an integrated dedicated bakery. Bart’s Retail identified a shift in customer demand towards out-of-home products such as sandwiches, snacks and other on-the-go bread products. In order to capitalize on this trend, the company had to develop a broader product offering. With the integrated bakery model Bart’s Retail was less equipped to realize this goal.

Gilde therefore decided in 2014 to split the company into franchise chain Bart’s Retail and a stand-alone bakery specialist Grand Duet with the goal to establish two focused, independent and successful companies. Grand Duet managed to attract multiple new customers and was sold to leading Spanish bakery Europastry in November 2018.

The split was accompanied by the appointment of a new management team at both Bart’s Retail and Grand Duet. To even better serve the change in customer demand and growth in out-of-home consumption, Bart’s Retail and its management have successfully developed and piloted a new store formula.

Combination enables accelerated growth

Together with Bakerstreet a unique and one of the largest foodservice platform is created in the Dutch market, which will offer even more added value to its franchisees and partners. Bakerstreet offers support to Shell and Albert Heijn for the operation of multiple well-known formulas such as deli2go and deli by Shell. This provides the company with in-depth knowledge of on-the-go consumption and optimizing (store) operations.

In the new combination, Bakerstreet is envisaged to contribute to Bart’s Retail’s out-of-home focused growth strategy. Bakerstreet will accelerate the roll-out of the new Bakker Bart store formula as well as contribute to new assortment development. Furthermore, Bakerstreet will use its long-term experience to further optimize the store and e-commerce operations of Bakker Bart.