The four-year-old company will invest more than $1m in a second facility, with construction scheduled to begin in October. The expansion will add 40 production jobs to the existing 85-person team.
“For the past four years, we’ve seen great growth, and our products are being enjoyed by more people each day,” the company said in a statement celebrating the recognition. “Last year marked record sales with over 3.5 million Smartcakes and more than 900,000 Smartbuns baked and sold.”
Smart Baking brought new ovens to its current manufacturing site earlier this year, doubling its capacity to make its flagship Smartcakes and Smartbuns – both of which are gluten-free and wheat-free. They are also low in calories compared to their gluten counterparts and high in fiber.
According to the company, its products meet a variety of dietary needs or restrictions, including for diabetics and keto followers.
The 72-calorie Smartbun provides 3.5g of fat (1g each of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats), plus 220mg of potassium, 12g of fiber and 10g of protein. Smart Baking achieves these stats through a blend of oats, corn and flax, plus eggs and whey protein egg whites. The buns also include 4g of the calorie-free sweetener erythritol. A 6pk of either plain or sesame hamburger buns runs for an RRP of $9.99 (about $1.65 per bun).
While the Smartbuns must be frozen immediately upon purchase, the Smartcakes will keep in a cool, dry place for 120 days; however, the company recommends refrigerating or freezing them for later use.
The cakes use the same oat, corn and flax blend to create a gluten-free treat with 5g of fiber and 4g of protein per serving. They also incorporate monk fruit for sweetness and olive oil for texture.
A box of eight Smartcakes, wrapped two per package, cost an RRP of $14.95. They feature flavors such as Cinnamon, Raspberry Cream, Lemon and Chocolate.
Gluten-free growing in Orlando
In June, the Orlando Business Journal named Smart Baking the region’s fastest-growing business, compiled through the percentage increase of revenue from 2016 through 2018. Now its annual revenue could reach $11m, following a record year of selling more than 3.5m Smartcakes and 900k Smartbuns.
“For the last three years, since we launched our first product out of our R&D lab, we’ve seen sales continually grow as more people learn about their food and seek smarter solutions,” said Smart Baking co-founder Dave Heuvel, adding, “We’re proud to help prove that healthy products that taste great actually do exist.”
CMO Joanne Walter described the bakery as “an R&D driven company focused on health – without sacrificing taste.”
“Our goal is nothing short of changing the world, by helping people find smart solutions on their journey to healthy eating,” she said.
Staying on top of other dietary trends, the bakery expanded its cakes with a ‘PLUS’ line featuring ‘Hemp CBD.’ Each vanilla latte-flavored cake contains 25mg of hemp-derived CBD, according to a release, which is tested and certified by a third-party lab.
“There is a growing base of people who want to cut carbs, stay gluten-free or otherwise eat healthier,” said Heuvel. “Smartcakes PLUS Hemp CBD offer our customers a healthy hemp-based, CBD option in this rapidly expanding market.”