The Brownie Baker Case: Ingredients Of Success

Abstract

This case study examines The Brownie Baker, which makes gourmet and specialty baked goods, from an operations management perspective.  Its product line includes brownies, muffins, Danishes, cookies, cakes, and Hispanic pastries.  Located in Fresno, California, the bakery distributes its products across much of the United States.  The Brownie Baker was acquired by president and CEO, Dennis Perkins, in 1990.   What started with four or five employees and $180,000 in annual sales has grown to 80 employees and more than 10 million dollars in sales in 2007.  Perkins’ down-to-earth, receptive management style coupled with product innovations and productivity improvements have been key ingredients in the company’s successful growth.  Perkins himself was named the Small Business Administration’s  Central California Business Person of the Year in 1999, and The Brownie Baker was awarded the Small Business Administration’s Western Region Choice Award in 2004.  This case details the operations strategies and management techniques that have led to these accomplishments.