Q: Are all your products baked fresh?
A: All of our products are baked fresh and then frozen immediately to lock in that freshness. This suspends the staling process—so when you thaw at store level, you get just-baked freshness. They’re actually fresh because they’re frozen and are fresher than the “fresh” product made yesterday and delivered today. Once thawed, the shelf life depends on the product and the packaging.
Q: What makes your products better than the other guys’?
A: In order to become a Prairie City Bakery product, it has to pass our own “WOW” test. We feel that if it doesn’t make us say WOW, it won’t make you or your customers say WOW. We use chunks of great-quality ingredients and believe it can’t just taste attractive—it must look attractive. Because of this, we don’t hide our products under a lot of graphics. We think people eat with their eyes first and we believe in the WYSIWYG approach (What You See Is What You Get). We don’t stop at just great-tasting, great-looking products. We help you sell with our fantastic display racks and merchandising solutions. These effective selling tools feature the products in the best possible light, thereby helping you sell more bakery goods. We keep Bakery Simplified.
Q: Do you do a lot of research and development on new products?
A: Regarding R&D, we do a lot of “D.” The “R” part comes from listening passionately to our customers about what they’re looking for. This might be a product, packaging, or merchandising solution that will help them sell more baked goods. We are also not limited by a typical company’s mentality—which is usually “sell what we make.” We want to sell what our customers (and their customers) want to buy. It is really that simple, and we are passionate about making it happen in the most efficient way.
Q: How do you decide what to produce?
A: Every product must have a reason to exist in the marketplace. It has to be better in some way than what’s already out there (better tasting, bigger, better ingredients, better packaging, better value). It doesn’t necessarily have to be the cheapest, but it has to be a fair value: consumers let you know pretty quickly if you don’t have a compelling selling proposition. Customers “vote” with their dollars every day. Since starting Prairie City Bakery, over 200 million consumers have voted “Yes!” to Prairie City Bakery and our products.
Q: Do you develop custom products?
A: We can indeed develop custom products or variations of our standard products, as long as minimum volume and packaging commitments can be met.
Q: I’m a consumer. Where can I buy your products?
A: On a direct basis, we sell through frozen distributors only. Our products are carried, however, in over 20,000 retail locations. If your store or favorite restaurant doesn’t have Prairie City Bakery, please tell them about us, direct them to our website, and ask if they can carry our products for you. We make it simple for them to do.
Q: I’m a convenience store operator. How can I get your products?
A: Prairie City Bakery sells through frozen distributors. Since we sell to more than 400 distributors nationwide, it’s more than likely your distributor carries Prairie City products. Oftentimes, they are listed in the frozen section, snack section, or foodservice section of your buying book. If you can’t find them, just give us a call. We would be delighted to help you get Prairie City Bakery into your stores (800.338.5122).
Q: I’m a distributor. How can I get your products?
A: All of our products are frozen, thaw-and-sell products, and our entire line is available either direct from Prairie City Bakery or through Dot Foods. Our direct frozen warehouse/shipping location is U.S. Cold Storage in Minooka, IL. We have a 180-case minimum direct, or you can tie our products in with your other currently purchased Dot Foods products. Simply contact Prairie City Bakery at 800.338.5122 or via the Contact Us form to the left.
Q: Are your products kosher?
A: Many of our products are kosher. Visit Our Products section, where “Kosher” is listed within the product information.
Q: How can I get one of your merchandising displays for my store?
A: We’ll be happy to supply you with one of our product displays to help you sell more Prairie City Bakery products. Many of our displays are FREE—as long as you buy our products.
We have some very unique merchandisers that will help you sell more bakery goods. Our Slant Back Cookie Rack, for instance, is the width of a business card, yet research shows it sells more products per square inch on the front cash register counter than any other food rack. Simply contact us at 800.338.5122 or customerservice@pcbakery.com.
Q: What else makes Prairie City Bakery so special?
A: That’s simple: it’s our people. We take pride in our products, but it’s our people that make things happen. In fact, many have been here since nearly the beginning. We have a unique combination of industry experience, bakery knowledge, passion and an entrepreneurial spirit driving us to be the best and to do whatever it takes and to get the job done for you each and every time.
