Tate's Bake Shop
An American baked-goods brand best known for its thin, crisp chocolate chip cookies.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Tate's Bake Shop is an American baked-goods manufacturer and retail bakery associated primarily with thin, crisp chocolate chip cookies. The business was established in Southampton, New York, in 2000 by baker and entrepreneur Kathleen King after a difficult separation from the earlier bakery business she had operated under the Kathleen's name. King named the new company after her father's nickname, Tate. The brand initially built distribution in Long Island and New York City before expanding its packaged-cookie presence across the United States. Tate's developed from a regional bakery into a national consumer brand while retaining a premium, bakery-inspired identity. Its best-known cookies are marketed around a crisp texture, chocolate-chip formulation, and a style intended to evoke handmade bakery products. The range has also included other cookies and baked goods, including gluten-free products introduced as the company expanded its production capabilities. The brand's retail and wholesale operations have remained connected to the Long Island area: Tate's maintains a retail presence in Southampton, while manufacturing and wholesale activity has been associated with facilities in East Moriches and later distribution operations in Shirley. The company expanded production substantially during the 2010s. In 2013, it added a dedicated gluten-free kitchen in response to demand and was reported to be producing approximately one million cookies per week, with distribution reaching all 50 states. In 2014, King sold a majority stake to Riverside Company, a private-equity firm. Tate's moved its corporate headquarters to Westhampton Beach in 2015 and later expanded its facilities. Mondelez International acquired Tate's in 2018 for a reported price of approximately $500 million, bringing the brand into the same broader portfolio as Oreo and Chips Ahoy. King retired from the business after the sale, while Tate's continued to operate as an independent brand within Mondelez's portfolio. Following the acquisition, Mondelez expanded Tate's factory and warehousing capacity. By the following year, reported production had increased to approximately two million cookies per day, and the company had added about 100 workers. In December 2023, Tate's moved into a newly constructed warehouse and distribution development in Shirley, while its 40,000-square-foot East Moriches factory remained in operation. Tate's therefore combines a nationally distributed packaged-food business with roots in a Long Island bakery and retail operation. Its positioning remains centered on premium cookies and accessible bakery-style indulgence rather than on a broad mass-market confectionery identity.
History
Kathleen King began baking at the age of 11 and sold cookies from her family's North Sea Farms farmstand in Southampton, New York. In 1980, she established a bakery business called Kathleen's Cookie, which later became Kathleen's Bake Shop. Two years afterward, King purchased the building in which the business operated and expanded beyond local retail by selling products to businesses in New York City. By 1990, she had published a cookbook and employed approximately 40 people. King brought business partners into the company in 1998, but the relationship later deteriorated. In February 2000, she was removed from the company she had founded. She subsequently regained ownership of the manufacturing facility through court proceedings, although she did not recover ownership of Kathleen's Cookie, which was relocated to Virginia. King rebuilt the operation under a new name, Tate's Bake Shop, in August 2000. The name came from her father's nickname. During the same year, the new company began shipping cookies to retailers on Long Island and in New York City. Tate's grew from this regional base into a nationally distributed packaged-cookie business. The brand became particularly associated with chocolate chip cookies characterized by a thin and crisp texture. In 2013, the company entered gluten-free baking and opened a 3,000-square-foot kitchen to support the line and respond to consumer demand. At that stage, Tate's was reported to be producing roughly one million cookies each week, generating more than $12 million in annual revenue, and distributing products in all 50 states. The reported financial figures relate to that period and should not be treated as current results. In 2014, King sold a majority interest in Tate's to Riverside Company, a private-equity firm. The business moved its corporate headquarters to Westhampton Beach in 2015. Its facilities were subsequently expanded, with the company reported to have increased its facilities by nearly half in 2018. That year, Mondelez International acquired Tate's for an amount reported at approximately $500 million. The acquisition placed Tate's alongside major Mondelez cookie brands such as Oreo and Chips Ahoy, but Tate's continued to operate as an independent brand. King officially retired from the company after the transaction. Mondelez invested in Tate's manufacturing and logistics network after acquiring the business. By the following year, the factory and warehouses had been expanded, approximately 100 additional workers had been hired, and reported production had risen to around two million cookies per day. Tate's retained its Long Island identity through its Southampton retail store and East Moriches manufacturing and wholesale operations. In December 2023, the company moved into a newly built warehouse and distribution development in Shirley, while its 40,000-square-foot East Moriches factory remained in use. The company's history is therefore marked by several transitions: King's early farmstand sales, the formation and disruption of her first bakery business, the creation of Tate's in 2000, the shift from regional bakery to nationwide packaged-food brand, private-equity investment, and eventual acquisition by Mondelez. The brand's core identity has remained its bakery-derived cookie range, particularly chocolate chip cookies, even as ownership, facilities, and production scale have changed.
- 2023
Distribution operations move to Shirley
[1]Tate's moved into a newly constructed warehouse and distribution development in Shirley, while its East Moriches factory continued operating.
- 2019
Production and warehousing capacity expand
[1]After the acquisition, Mondelez expanded Tate's facilities, added approximately 100 workers, and increased reported output to about two million cookies per day.
- 2018
Mondelez International acquires Tate's
[1]Mondelez International purchased Tate's Bake Shop in a transaction reported at approximately $500 million.
- 2015
Corporate headquarters moves to Westhampton Beach
[1]Tate's relocated its corporate headquarters to Westhampton Beach, New York.
- 2014
Riverside Company acquires a majority stake
[1]Kathleen King sold a majority interest in Tate's Bake Shop to private-equity firm Riverside Company.
- 2013
Gluten-free production begins
[1]Tate's expanded into gluten-free baking and opened a dedicated 3,000-square-foot kitchen.
- 2000
Tate's Bake Shop is founded
[1]After losing control of her earlier bakery business, Kathleen King re-established the operation as Tate's Bake Shop and began shipping to Long Island and New York City retailers.
- 1990
Business reaches approximately 40 employees
[1]King had published a cookbook and the bakery employed about 40 people.
- 1982
Expansion into New York City business sales
[1]King purchased the bakery building and began selling products to businesses in New York City.
- 1980
Kathleen's Cookie is established
[1]Kathleen King started the bakery business that later became Kathleen's Bake Shop, building on cookie sales at her family's farmstand.
Products and positioning
A premium bakery-style cookie brand emphasizing crisp texture, recognizable chocolate-chip products, and an independent-bakery heritage within a large packaged-food portfolio.
Cookies · 2000
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tate's signature product line and the principal basis of the brand's identity. The cookies are associated with a thin, crisp texture and chocolate-chip flavor, and are sold as packaged baked goods through supermarkets and other retail channels across the United States.
Special-diet cookies · 2013
Gluten-Free Cookies
A gluten-free range introduced as Tate's expanded its production capabilities in 2013. The line broadened the brand's addressable customer base while retaining its focus on crisp, bakery-style cookies.
Packaged baked goods
Specialty Cookies and Baked Goods
Additional cookie varieties and baked goods sold under the Tate's name. These products extend the brand beyond its flagship chocolate chip cookie while maintaining its premium bakery positioning.
Controversies
2021
Accusations concerning deportation threats during unionization efforts
News12 reported accusations that Tate's Bake Shop threatened workers with deportation in response to efforts to unionize. The report concerned alleged workplace conduct and labor relations; the available reference does not establish a final legal finding.
Brand decisions
2023
Relocate warehouse and distribution operationsStrategyBackground
Tate's required expanded logistics capacity as a national packaged-food brand.
Action taken
The company moved into a newly constructed warehouse and distribution development in Shirley, New York.
Aftermath
The East Moriches factory remained in operation, preserving the company's established manufacturing base.
2018
Join Mondelez International's portfolioM&ABackground
Tate's had achieved nationwide distribution and required a larger corporate platform for continued manufacturing and logistics expansion.
Action taken
Mondelez International acquired Tate's Bake Shop. The reported transaction value was approximately $500 million.
Aftermath
Tate's continued as an independent brand, Kathleen King retired, and Mondelez expanded its production and warehousing network.
Reported acquisition value. (2018 acquisition)
2014
Sell a majority stake to Riverside CompanyM&ABackground
Tate's had grown from a regional bakery into a nationally distributed packaged-cookie business.
Action taken
Kathleen King sold a majority interest to Riverside Company.
Aftermath
The investment preceded further facility expansion and the later sale to Mondelez International.
2013
Enter gluten-free bakingProduct launchBackground
The company reported customer demand for gluten-free products as its national distribution expanded.
Action taken
Tate's opened a dedicated 3,000-square-foot kitchen and added gluten-free baked goods.
Aftermath
The move broadened Tate's product range and production footprint.
Recent events
- 2023
Tate's moves into a new Shirley warehouse and distribution development[1]
Other
In December 2023, Tate's moved into a newly constructed warehouse and distribution development in Shirley, New York. Its East Moriches factory remained in use.
- 2019
Tate's expands production after Mondelez acquisition[1]
Other
Following the acquisition, Tate's expanded its factory and warehouses, added approximately 100 workers, and increased reported production capacity to about two million cookies per day.
- 2018
Mondelez International acquires Tate's Bake Shop[1]
M&A
Mondelez International acquired Tate's Bake Shop in a transaction reported at approximately $500 million. The brand continued operating as a distinct business, and founder Kathleen King retired after the sale.
Sources2 sources
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