Jason Ferreira discovered how one simple piece of equipment would help him realize his vision and change his bakery business forever.

Jason Ferreira owns five of the over 100 Met Food supermarket locations in the NY area. Jason had a vision to increase his supermarket bakery business by offering his customers better quality artisan-style breads. Until that time, he was buying par-baked bread from a local supplier and baking it off in a small convection oven. Jason knew that in order to compete with the local Italian bakeries, he needed to replace his existing oven and start making his bread from scratch.

As Jason began shopping around, he discovered that most of the deck ovens on the market were made for large wholesale bakeries and too big for his small supermarket bakery. Jason’s head baker suggested that he give Empire Bakery Equipment a call. Empire introduced Jason to the stone-hearth gas-fired MiniTube Oven. The MiniTube was a dream come true because it fit into his limited space and delivered the high-quality artisan-style bread that he wanted to sell. Additional bonuses were the low energy costs and easy maintenance. “Empire really took the time to educate me and my baker about the oven, its capabilities and its advantages versus the other types of ovens. The vapor tubes distribute heat evenly throughout the oven so there is no need for moving parts. Less moving parts means less maintenance. The result is a consistent quality product. My baker is very happy with the MiniTube. It definitely gives us a superior product.”

Shortly after Jason purchased the oven, he began advertising his new breads. “Customers were so pleased with the quality of the bread, they started coming back in droves”, said Jason. “My bread is ‘up-to-par’ with the best Italian bakeries around. The consistency of this bread is perfect!  The outer layer has a nice crisp texture and the inside is soft and flavorful.”

In addition to improved quality, Jason can now offer many more varieties of bread. French Baguettes, Long French Bread, Semolina, Italian, Whole Wheat Italian, Round Semolina, Large Oval Semolina, Portuguese Rolls, Cuban Bread, Rye Bread, Focaccia, Garlic Bread, Garlic Toast and Garlic Knots are baked daily in Met Food’s New Hyde Park location.

“My bakery business has greatly increased since I purchased the MiniTube Oven. It is a great energy and space saver that truly delivers an excellent product”, explains Jason. “I would highly recommend this oven to other supermarkets.” Jason finds Empire to be an excellent source for all of his bakery equipment needs. They supplied Jason with all of the equipment that he needed to make the dough from scratch and prepare it for baking. Now, Jason is in the process of purchasing 2 rack ovens from Empire to make fresh cakes, cookies and pastries. In addition, he has since branched out into the wholesale bread business, supplying local delis with his bread.

The MiniTube is available in a wide variety of sizes to fit your needs and space. Let Empire help you expand your product line, improve the quality and consistency of your existing products and drastically reduce your fuel costs.

Call Empire Bakery Equipment at 1-800-878-4070 or 516-681-1500 or e-mail: info@empirebake.com. For our website, visit www.empirebake.com.