FRANKFORT, KY. — Bakery Express Midwest on April 14 opened its new 50,000-square-foot baking facility in Florence, Ky. The facility will produce sweet baked goods, including donuts, cookies, cakes, pastries, muffins and more, for distribution in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee.

“It has been 444 days since we broke ground here in Boone County, Ky., and with the commitment of all our partners from the great team at BE NKY, GEIS Construction Co. and local supply partners and contractors, we have successfully planned and executed the grand opening of our newest fresh daily bakery operation,” said Art DiLullo, chief executive officer of Bakery Express Midwest. “We are excited to start supplying fresh daily bakery goods throughout the Midwest starting with our customer Wawa convenience stores.”

In August 2023, Bakery Express said it would be investing $10 million to build a 35,000-square-foot facility in Boone County. Then, in January 2024, the company updated the project, saying it would spend nearly $20 million to build a larger plant that would employ more than 175.

Bakery Express Midwest was founded in 1970 in Halethorpe, Md., by Charles L. Burman as Bakery Express Mid Atlantic Inc. Burman expanded the company in the following years by founding regional offshoots, including Bakery Express of Central Florida, Bakery Express of Central Texas, Bakery Express of Southern California and Bakery Express Midwest.