Milwaukee-based Miller Baking Co. is renovating its North 5th Street facility to expand production of Pretzilla pretzel bread products while closing its local fresh bakery operations.
The addition of a second production facility will lead to the addition of 30 jobs. Owner Brian Miller said he hopes to have the 18,000-square-foot facility at 1415 N. Fifth St. fully operational by the fall.
While the growth and addition of jobs is good news, Miller said it is bittersweet because it marks the end of the company’s fresh bakery operations, which included rye bread, challah and doughnuts.
“I have tremendous gratitude for the generations of customers who have enjoyed Miller Baking products,” he said. “Their support helped make Pretzilla possible.”
The Pretzilla product line started in 2007 and has since grown to be 90 percent of the company’s sales. Miller added new products last year, including a 36-pack of bite-sized pieces called the Pretzilla Bites Tub and Pretzilla Bites with Cheese Dip. Miller is forecasting 50 percent sales growth for 2018.
He said the fresh bakery business reached a point where it didn’t make economic sense to continue Some of the recipes and equipment were sold late last year, but will not be produced under the Miller name.
The company continues to have a production facility on the northwest side of Milwaukee.
“We’re proud that Pretzilla is made in Milwaukee,” Miller said. “By increasing production, we look forward to bringing a piece of the city to even more homes around the country.”
