Tastykake
Tastykake is an American snack-cake and pastry brand founded in Philadelphia in 1914 and now owned by Flowers Foods.
Last updated November 3, 2026
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Overview
Tastykake is a Philadelphia-rooted American brand of packaged snack cakes, pies, doughnuts, honey buns, cupcakes and related bakery products. The brand was created by the Tasty Baking Company, founded in 1914 by Philip J. Baur and Herbert T. Morris. The partners had previously operated a bakery in the Pittsburgh area, but after selling that business to Ward Baking Company they were restricted from opening another bakery within 100 miles of Pittsburgh. They therefore selected Philadelphia, where they established a new bakery in the Germantown area. Morris's wife proposed the Tastykake name, while the early visual identity included the Tastykake girl, a character designed by a Boston student. The company initially positioned its products as fresh, distinctive local treats, supported by the slogan “The Cake That Made Mother Stop Baking.” The business grew quickly from a highly localized operation. Its first-day sales were modest, but distribution expanded across Eastern Pennsylvania and later into neighboring states. For much of its early history, Tastykake used horse-drawn delivery wagons and became closely associated with Philadelphia's urban food culture. The company retired its last horse in 1941, while World War II broadened its reach when cakes and pies were shipped to American service members in overseas theaters. Subsequent distribution used trucks, electric vehicles, rail and ships, allowing the brand to reach customers in parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia and other East Coast markets. Product development has been central to the brand. Butterscotch Krimpets were introduced in 1927, followed soon afterward by individually wrapped fruit and cream pies. Tandy-takes, launched in 1931 and later renamed Kandy Kakes, became one of the company's best-known products. Other enduring or historically important lines include cupcakes, doughnuts, honey buns and packaged pies. During the 1970s and 1980s, the company added products such as muffins, chocolate-covered pretzels and additional pastries in response to changing regional demographics and consumer preferences. Tastykake's identity has also been shaped by its manufacturing and distribution footprint. A major Philadelphia bakery historically operated in the Allegheny West area, with a smaller Oxford, Pennsylvania facility associated with products including honey buns, doughnuts and cakes. In 2007, Tasty Baking announced plans to move its headquarters and principal bakery to the Philadelphia Naval Business Center in South Philadelphia. The relocation was completed in 2010. The former facilities and corporate properties were subsequently involved in a sale agreement with John Padgett Associates and Metro Development Company. The brand has a notable place in the history of civil-rights activism. In 1959, Reverend Leon Sullivan and a coalition commonly described as the “400 ministers” organized a selective patronage campaign against Tastykake. The campaign challenged racial restrictions in employment, particularly the limited access of Black workers to better-paid driver-salesman positions and other jobs. After a boycott involving Black consumers and retailers, the company agreed to changes including fixed routes for Black drivers, broader access for Black women to previously restricted positions, and desegregation of plant facilities. Tasty Baking became a public company in 1961 and later traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TSTY. Financial and operational pressures accompanied the costly relocation to the new Philadelphia facility. In 2011, Flowers Foods agreed to acquire Tasty Baking for cash, and the transaction closed in May of that year. Tasty Baking's stock was then delisted, and Tastykake became a brand within Flowers Foods rather than an independent public-company house. Today, Tastykake remains primarily associated with Philadelphia and the broader East Coast, while distribution has gradually extended into additional parts of the United States. Its positioning co…
History
Tastykake originated with the Tasty Baking Company, established in Philadelphia in 1914 by Philip J. Baur and Herbert T. Morris. The founders had previously run a bakery near Pittsburgh, which they sold to Ward Baking Company in 1913. Because the sale restricted them from opening another bakery within 100 miles of Pittsburgh, they looked east and chose Philadelphia. They settled on a Germantown location along Sedgley Avenue in late 1913 and began operations the following year. The Tastykake name was suggested by Morris's wife. The early brand identity included the Tastykake girl, designed by a Boston student, and the slogan “The Cake That Made Mother Stop Baking.” The company's early success came from a combination of localized freshness, distinctive packaging and direct distribution. Tastykake products first circulated primarily in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and then spread across Eastern Pennsylvania. For decades, horse-drawn wagons helped make the products a familiar urban specialty. That system ended in 1941, when the company's last horse was retired. World War II created a major distribution turning point: Tastykake sent cakes and pies to American troops in both European and Pacific or Asian theaters, exposing the products to consumers beyond the company's original market. After the war, distribution expanded through trucks, electric vehicles, rail and ships into additional parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia and other East Coast areas. The product portfolio broadened during the brand's formative decades. Butterscotch Krimpets arrived in 1927, followed by individually wrapped fruit and cream pies. Tandy-takes, introduced in 1931 and later renamed Kandy Kakes, became a particularly important product and one of the company's most recognized offerings. By the late 1950s and early 1960s, the installation of more advanced machinery reduced the baking cycle substantially, supporting higher production volumes and contributing to a period of strong brand growth. The company also introduced or expanded muffins, chocolate-covered pretzels and other pastries during the 1970s and 1980s. Leadership and ownership changed after the death of Philip Baur in 1951. Baur's heirs acquired stock from Herbert Morris's wife, giving the Baur family majority control. Paul R. Kaiser, previously a vice-president, became president, while Morris moved into the chairmanship. By 1954, the stated Tastykake territory covered portions of nine states and the District of Columbia. By the end of that decade, annual sales had reached approximately $22.9 million, according to the referenced historical account. The brand's history also includes a significant civil-rights episode. In 1959, Reverend Leon Sullivan and a group of Philadelphia ministers known as the 400 ministers sought to challenge racial barriers in local employment. Tastykake was known for hiring many Black workers but restricting them largely to particular production departments. Activists focused on the better-paid driver-salesman role, which combined delivery driving with sales and commissions. When discussions did not produce the requested changes, Sullivan and the ministers called for a selective patronage campaign. Black-owned grocery stores and consumers were encouraged not to sell or purchase Tastykake products. The campaign ended in August 1959 after the company agreed to employment and facility changes, including fixed routes for Black drivers, expanded job access for Black women and desegregation of plant facilities. Tasty Baking later developed a wider manufacturing and corporate footprint. Its principal Philadelphia facility operated in the Allegheny West area, while a smaller Oxford, Pennsylvania plant historically produced honey buns, doughnuts and cakes. In 2007 the company announced a move of its headquarters and main bakery to the Philadelphia Naval Business Center. The relocation was completed in May 2010. The company also agreed in April 2010 to sell its former Hunting Park bakery property and Fox Street corporate and distribution facilities. Tasty Baking went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1961 and moved to the NASDAQ National Market in 2005 under the symbol TSTY. Financial pressure followed the expensive facility relocation and broader operating challenges. Flowers Foods agreed in April 2011 to acquire the company, and the transaction was completed in May 2011. The shares were delisted, and Tastykake became a Flowers Foods brand. It continues to draw on its Philadelphia heritage while distributing packaged bakery products through a broader United States network.
- 2011
Acquired by Flowers Foods
[1]Flowers Foods completed its acquisition of Tasty Baking, making Tastykake part of its brand portfolio.
- 2010
New bakery and headquarters become operational
[1]The move to the South Philadelphia site was completed in May.
- 2007
South Philadelphia relocation announced
[1]Tasty Baking announced plans to move its main bakery and headquarters to the Philadelphia Naval Business Center.
- 2005
Stock listing moves to NASDAQ
[1]The company transferred its listing to the NASDAQ National Market and used the symbol TSTY.
- 1961
Tasty Baking becomes publicly traded
[1]Tasty Baking listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
- 1959
Selective-patronage campaign ends with employment changes
[1]A boycott led by Leon Sullivan ended after Tastykake agreed to changes involving Black workers and desegregation of facilities.
- 1951
Leadership and family control change
[1]After Philip Baur's death, his heirs acquired additional shares and Paul R. Kaiser became president.
- 1941
Horse-drawn delivery ends
[1]Tastykake retired its last horse as motorized and other forms of distribution became standard.
- 1931
Tandy-takes introduced
[1]Tandy-takes entered the market and were later renamed Kandy Kakes.
- 1927
Butterscotch Krimpet introduced
[1]The company introduced Butterscotch Krimpet, one of the brand's historically important snack-cake products.
Products and positioning
A Philadelphia heritage bakery brand offering convenient, individually packaged snack cakes and pastries with strong regional recognition and broad East Coast distribution.
Snack cake · 1927
Butterscotch Krimpets
A signature Tastykake snack cake introduced in 1927. Butterscotch Krimpets became part of the brand's long-running portfolio of individually packaged bakery treats and remain closely associated with its traditional product identity.
Chocolate-covered snack cake · 1931
Kandy Kakes
Originally introduced as Tandy-takes in 1931, Kandy Kakes became one of Tastykake's most recognized products. The line helped establish the brand's identity in individually portioned cakes with a confectionery coating.
Packaged pie
Fruit and cream pies
Individually wrapped fruit and cream pies were introduced soon after Butterscotch Krimpets. Their portable format supported Tastykake's early distribution model and helped broaden the brand beyond cakes.
Cupcake
Cupcakes
Packaged cupcakes are part of Tastykake's core pastry range. They represent the brand's traditional bakery positioning and are distributed as convenient, portioned snack foods.
Sweet pastry
Honey buns
Honey buns are a major Tastykake pastry line historically associated with the Oxford, Pennsylvania production facility. They extend the portfolio from cakes and pies into larger, sweetened breakfast- and snack-oriented pastries.
Doughnut
Doughnuts
Tastykake doughnuts form part of the brand's packaged bakery assortment. The category reflects the company's expansion into everyday pastry formats alongside its established snack cakes and pies.
Muffin
Muffins
Muffins were among the products added during Tastykake's broader development activity in the 1970s and 1980s, when the company responded to changing regional demographics and an aging consumer base.
Confectionery snack
Chocolate-covered pretzels
Chocolate-covered pretzels were part of the company's later expansion beyond conventional cakes and pies. The product combines a salty snack base with a sweet coating and illustrates Tastykake's experimentation with adjacent packaged treats.
Controversies
2021
Tastykake expands recall to seven Krimpets products
In November 2021, Flowers Foods expanded a voluntary recall to seven Tastykake Krimpets products after a vendor notified the company that the treats may contain tiny fragments of mesh wire. Consumers were advised to discard affected products or return them for a full refund. At the time, no injuries had been reported. The recall expansion followed the vendor's notification regarding the possible presence of the wire fragments in the products.
2021
Tastykake recalls cupcake products over possible metal contamination
Flowers Foods voluntarily recalled several Tastykake products sold in seven states because they could contain tiny fragments of mesh wire. The article reported that no injuries had been reported and that full refunds were available at the place of purchase.
1959
Employment discrimination and workplace segregation controversy
Tastykake faced a civil-rights boycott over racial limits on job assignments, particularly access to driver-salesman roles, and alleged segregation of workplace restrooms and locker facilities. The dispute concluded with employment and desegregation commitments.
Marketing campaigns
- 1959Tastykake selective-patronage campaign
Philadelphia
Reverend Leon Sullivan and approximately 400 Philadelphia ministers organized a consumer and retailer boycott after efforts to secure better employment opportunities for Black workers did not produce sufficient change. The campaign focused particularly on driver-salesman positions, which offered higher earnings through commissions. The boycott ended after Tastykake agreed to give Black drivers fixed routes, open positions previously restricted to white women to African American women, and desegregate plant facilities.
Outcome. The boycott ended after Tastykake agreed to give Black drivers fixed routes, open positions previously restricted to white women to African American women, and desegregate plant facilities.
Brand decisions
2011
Acquire Tasty Baking and TastykakeM&ABackground
Tasty Baking faced financial and operating pressure after the costly plant relocation and remained a publicly traded bakery company.
Action taken
Flowers Foods agreed to acquire Tasty Baking for cash and completed the transaction in May 2011.
Aftermath
Tasty Baking's shares were delisted, its former ticker was retired, and Tastykake continued as a Flowers Foods brand rather than an independent public company.
Acquisition consideration. $34 million in cash (April-May 2011)
2010
Sell former Philadelphia propertiesOtherBackground
After the headquarters and bakery relocation, Tasty Baking no longer required its former Hunting Park bakery property or its Fox Street offices and distribution center.
Action taken
The company entered a purchase-and-sale agreement with John Padgett Associates and guarantor Metro Development Company for the two property groups.
Aftermath
The referenced agreement valued the properties at $6 million and formed part of the company's effort to manage its post-relocation real-estate footprint.
Property sale value. $6 million (April 2010)
2007
Move headquarters and main bakery to South PhiladelphiaStrategyBackground
Tasty Baking operated older Philadelphia facilities and sought to consolidate its principal bakery and corporate headquarters at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center.
Action taken
The company announced the relocation of its headquarters and main bakery to a new South Philadelphia site; the move was completed in May 2010.
Aftermath
The relocation created substantial financing and operating pressure and was followed by the sale of former bakery, office and distribution properties and the eventual acquisition of the company by Flowers Foods.
Recent events
- 2011
Flowers Foods agrees to acquire Tasty Baking[1]
M&A
Flowers Foods agreed to purchase Tasty Baking for cash, ending the company's existence as an independent publicly traded bakery company and bringing Tastykake into the Flowers Foods portfolio.
- 2011
Tasty Baking stock delisted after Flowers Foods acquisition[1]
M&A · Other
Following completion of the Flowers Foods transaction, Tasty Baking's shares were removed from trading and the company's former ticker was retired.
- 2010
Tasty Baking agrees to sell Philadelphia properties[1]
Other
The company entered an agreement to sell its Hunting Park bakery property and former Fox Street offices and distribution center to John Padgett Associates and Metro Development Company.
- 2007
Tasty Baking announces Philadelphia headquarters and bakery relocation[1]
Other
Tasty Baking announced that its headquarters and main bakery would move from North Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Naval Business Center in South Philadelphia.
Sources3 sources
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