Middleby Bakery Innovation Center

While many Texans think of a 'bakery' as a local shop offering fresh muffins and custom cakes, the **Middleby Bakery Innovation Center (BIC)** in **Plano, Texas**, represents the industry on a massive, industrial scale. This facility is recognized globally as a vital hub for research, development, and advanced processing for the entire commercial baking sector. It is not a place for retail purchases, but rather a world-class, 30,000-square-foot 'test bakery' established by the Middleby Bakery Group—a division of The Middleby Corporation—to serve high-volume processors, foodservice operators, and wholesale bakers.

The BIC functions as an extended research and development center for bakers from Texas and around the world, providing a secure, protected environment to test new concepts, optimize existing products, and experiment with advanced industrial equipment without disrupting costly production lines. Its presence right here in **Plano, TX**, provides a monumental asset to the regional and national food manufacturing ecosystem, offering a unique opportunity for innovation, process optimization, and expert training right in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

This center is dedicated to solving the complex challenges of industrial baking—from ingredient handling and dough make-up to proofing, baking, cooling, and packaging. With the assistance of in-house food technologists, process engineers, and expert Master Bakers, clients can harness the power of their unique ingredients to forge the path toward the next groundbreaking baked product, whether it’s a specialty bun, artisan bread, or high-volume sweet goods. The BIC is truly a place where the future of large-scale baking is being defined, and it is happening right here in **Texas**.

The **Middleby Bakery Innovation Center** is conveniently situated in a commercial and industrial zone of **Plano, Texas**, making it readily accessible for business professionals flying into the Dallas area. The facility serves as the headquarters and primary demonstration site for the Middleby Bakery Group in North America.

The exact location is: **808 Stewart Ave, Plano, TX 75074, USA**.

Given its status as a highly specialized industrial testing facility and demonstration showroom, the BIC operates strictly by appointment. Visits are typically scheduled by commercial clients, distributors, and industry partners seeking to utilize the state-of-the-art equipment or attend a specialized seminar.

The commitment to accessibility for all industry guests is demonstrated through the following accommodations:

• Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: Ensures smooth entry and exit for all visitors.
• Wheelchair Accessible Parking Lot: Provides dedicated, convenient parking spaces.

Being centrally located in the DFW metroplex also positions the BIC near major transportation arteries, facilitating easy transit for international and national clientele attending training and testing sessions at the facility.

The core function of the **Middleby Bakery Innovation Center** is to offer a comprehensive suite of services that transform small-scale baking ideas into high-volume industrial realities. These services are invaluable for any commercial enterprise looking to innovate, scale, or improve efficiency within their production process.

Key services available to customers include:

• **New Product Development and Testing:** Clients can test new recipes and product modifications quickly and confidentially in a controlled laboratory environment. The center is fully equipped to handle products such as pan bread, special buns, baguettes, artisan bread, muffins, cakes, and cookies.
• **Process Optimization and Equipment Trials:** Bakers can utilize full-scale industrial production lines, including a 17-foot-wide Middleby BTS Hurricane tunnel oven and high-capacity dough makeup lines, to determine optimal processing techniques before committing to purchasing new equipment.
• **Scaling Up Production:** The BIC specializes in helping companies scale their operations, allowing bakers to test a small batch—as little as 24 pieces—and immediately convert that process to industrial production rates of up to 24,000 pieces per hour in a matter of minutes.
• **Expert Consultation and Technical Guidance:** Access to in-house food technologists, specialized process engineers, and experienced Master Bakers provides customers with deep industry insight into everything from ingredient substitution to the impact of different water and flour types on baking results.
• **Full Line Integration and Testing:** The facility showcases and allows the testing of integrated systems from various Middleby brands (including Stewart Systems, Auto-Bake, Burford, and Sveba Dahlen), covering the entire process from mixing and dividing to proofing, baking, cooling, and blast freezing.
• **Training and Seminars:** The center offers year-round educational events, seminars, and training sessions on trending topics such as clean label processing, sweet goods optimization, bakery engineering, and equipment maintenance.
• **Ingredient Substitution and Recipe Refinement:** Experts assist clients in fine-tuning recipes, helping them achieve greater control over product texture, color, weight, size, and taste.

The **Middleby Bakery Innovation Center** is an impressive facility distinguished by its unique infrastructure and unparalleled concentration of expertise, making it a powerful resource for the industrial baking community in Texas and beyond.

• **30,000 Square Feet of Advanced Technology:** The sheer scale of the facility allows for the housing of multiple commercial-grade production lines, which include industrial ovens, intermediate proofers, freezers, and a variety of advanced dough handling and makeup machinery.
• **Industrial-Grade Equipment Showroom:** The BIC functions as a live showroom, featuring cutting-edge machinery from over a dozen Middleby Bakery Group companies, allowing clients to see equipment like the Middleby BTS Hurricane tunnel oven and Emico high-capacity makeup lines in full operation.
• **Cost-Effective R&D Trials:** Utilizing the BIC for trials provides enormous cost savings to industrial bakers. Experts cite that using the center’s line saves plant time valued at approximately $500 per minute, allowing businesses to prove a concept before a massive capital investment.
• **Master Baker and Food Technologist Expertise:** The BIC employs a specialized staff, including experienced Master Bakers, who are knowledgeable about global baking processes and can share their considerable experience to ensure optimal use of the machinery and best results for the final product.
• **Kilby’s Cafe European Conference Center:** The facility features an air-conditioned conference center designed to resemble a relaxed European patisserie—aptly named Kilby's Cafe—which serves as a professional meeting room and training venue for up to 50 industry professionals.
• **End-to-End Product Development:** Clients can develop a product from the mixing stage all the way through to **blast freezing** and packaging, providing a complete, holistic R&D experience in one location. The center can effectively mimic real-world plant conditions.

As the **Middleby Bakery Innovation Center** is an appointment-only commercial facility, interested parties such as bakery owners, product developers, and engineers should contact the center directly to schedule a tour, testing session, or seminar attendance.

Address: 808 Stewart Ave, Plano, TX 75074, USA

Phone: (972) 422-5808 (This number often connects to the Stewart Systems division, a primary component of the BIC)

Please note that all visits must be arranged in advance with a Middleby representative.

For any Texas-based industrial bakery, food manufacturer, or food service professional looking to enhance production, develop a new line of baked goods, or invest in industrial equipment, the **Middleby Bakery Innovation Center** in **Plano** is an invaluable resource that is absolutely worth choosing. This facility is the premier location for commercial baking innovation in the U.S., allowing businesses to dramatically shorten their research and development cycles. Instead of risking significant capital on unproven concepts in their own plants, companies can use the BIC’s industrial lines to validate processing techniques for products ranging from high-volume buns to specialty artisan items. The ability to consult with specialized engineers and Master Bakers, and test a vast array of the world's best baking equipment under one roof, provides a competitive edge that is virtually unmatched. The **Plano** center serves as a powerful local partner, fueling the growth and innovation of the entire commercial food industry from right here in Texas.

Middleby Bakery Innovation Center

808 Stewart Ave, Plano, TX 75074, USA