Drake's Cakes facts for kids
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Drake's Yodels
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| Type | Baked goods |
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| Owner | McKee Foods |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | November 14, 1896 |
| Headquarters | New York City (founding) Wayne, New Jersey (at time of bankruptcy) Collegedale, Tennessee (current) |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners |
List
The N.E. Drake Baking Company (1896–1900)
National Biscuit Company (1900–1902) Drake Brothers Company (1902–1924) Drake Bakeries, Inc. (1924–1986) Ralston Purina (1986–1987) Rock Capital Partners (1987–1990) Culinar, Inc. (1990–1998) Interstate Bakeries Corporation (1998–2013) |
Drake's is a well-known brand of American baked goods. It was started by Newman E. Drake in 1896 in Harlem, New York. The company was first called The N.E. Drake Baking Company. Today, McKee Foods owns Drake's.
Drake's makes many popular snack cakes. Some of their famous products include Devil Dogs, Funny Bones, Coffee Cakes, Ring Dings, and Yodels. Drake's products are mostly sold in the Northeastern U.S. However, in 2016, they also started selling in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S. All Drake's products are made following Orthodox Union kosher rules.
Contents
History
How Drake's Began
The Drake's brand started as The N.E. Drake Baking Company. It was officially created on November 14, 1896, in New York City. The founder was Newman E. Drake. The very first bakery was in Harlem.
Newman Drake had experience in baking for large companies. In 1888, he joined a cracker company. He traveled internationally for them. In 1893–94, he visited England. There, he saw fine cakes sold in grocery stores. This gave him the idea to bring similar baked goods to America.
By 1898, stores were advertising Drake's pound cakes. They came in different flavors. The ads said the cakes were baked fresh daily. They sold for 17 cents per pound. By 1900, Drake's layer cakes were also available. They had chocolate or vanilla icing. One ad even said Drake's cakes cost half of what it would take to bake them at home.
Joining National Biscuit Company
In the late 1890s, many cracker companies joined together. In 1898, three big companies formed the National Biscuit Company. This company later became known as Nabisco. By November 1900, the National Biscuit Company bought Drake's bakery. They called it the N.E. Drake Baking Co. Branch.
Drake's cakes continued to be sold under the Drake brand name until at least 1902. The original Drake Baking Company officially closed in 1903. However, the National Biscuit Company kept making cakes at the Harlem bakery. They used other brand names, like Regina and Imperial. Newman Drake somehow managed to keep the Drake brand name for his future baking plans.
Starting Drake Brothers Company
On December 4, 1902, Newman Drake started his business again. He called it Drake Brothers Company. He worked with his brother Charles and his brother-in-law. By May 1903, Drake was running a bakery in Brooklyn, New York. Newman was the president. His sons also worked in the business.
In April 1904, a food show article mentioned Drake's. It said they continued to make pound cakes and other cakes. The company was known for being the first to make large amounts of cakes for grocery stores. This referred to the start of the Harlem bakery. The new Brooklyn bakery served over 1,000 stores. It also reached a large area around Brooklyn.
In 1904, Drake Brothers started holding special dinners. These dinners recognized their sales team. They became big events with speakers and awards. In 1905, Drake opened another bakery in Boston.
In 1909, the Brooklyn bakery grew bigger. Drake's also had music written for them. It was called "Drake's Cake Walk." It was a "ragtime" piano song. In May 1913, Drake Brothers announced a new five-story bakery. It was built in Brooklyn. The ovens were on the top floor. This allowed the heat to escape. The building also had a rooftop garden for breaks.
Early Advertising and the Drake's Duck
Drake Brothers was known for its smart advertising. To make sure customers knew they were buying Drake's cakes, they used special pan liners. These liners had the Drake's brand name printed on them. This way, people could see the brand on the cake itself. Drake's also put their trademark on their trucks and in all their ads.
In the early 1900s, Newman Drake wanted a special design for his delivery trucks. Joseph Gross, a German immigrant, drew the first Drake's logo. It showed a duck wearing a chef's hat and holding a tray of cakes. Newman Drake loved the design so much that he gave Joseph Gross a $500 bonus.
Drake Bakeries, Inc. Forms
On July 29, 1924, a new company was formed. It was called Drake Bakeries, Incorporated. Ralph Ward became the president. His grandfather had started Ward Baking Company. This company later became Continental Baking and created the Hostess brand. Years later, in 1998, Hostess would actually own the Drake's brand.
In 1925, Drake Bakeries started a new policy. They would remove products from store shelves after 48 hours. This was to ensure freshness. Their ads also shared recipes for Drake's products. This showed that they used good ingredients. The ads also introduced products in new "Fresh Cake" cartons.
Drake's also started making collectible cards in 1925. Two of these cards featured the famous baseball player Babe Ruth. Drake's baseball cards continued for many years. Also in 1925, work began on a new bakery in Irvington, New Jersey.
One of Drake's most popular products today is Devil Dogs. The trademark for Devil Dogs was filed in 1926. They were first sold on June 15, 1926. Yankee Doodles, a chocolate cupcake, were first sold in 1928 by another company. By 1936, Drake's was selling Yankee Doodles under their own brand.
In 1928, Central Distributors, Inc. bought Drake Bakeries. Less than a year later, in 1929, The Borden Company bought Central Distributors. This meant Borden gained control of Drake Bakeries. In 1929, Drake's began advertising that their products were wrapped in cellophane. This meant shoppers could see what they were buying. It also kept the flavor sealed in.
Drake's in the 1930s and 1940s
Newman E. Drake, the founder, passed away on March 18, 1930. His wife Elizabeth and their son Arthur continued to run the business.
In December 1930, Drake's Coffee Cakes appeared in newspaper ads. These ads even mentioned a radio show that offered to share the recipe. Coffee Cakes are still one of Drake's best-selling products.
In 1933, Drake Bakeries opened a branch in Philadelphia. By 1941, Drake's had bakeries in Brooklyn, Boston, Irvington, and Providence. They also had distribution points in the Bronx and Jamaica (Queens).
Drake's took part in the 1939 New York World's Fair. They had a cake stand and provided cakes to visitors. During World War II, Drake's had to limit how much they produced. This was because sugar and shortening were rationed. By the end of 1949, Drake Bakeries had a bakery in Long Island City, NY.
Drake's in the 1950s and 1960s
Even though another company first owned the Devil Dogs brand, Drake's started marketing them in 1956. Drake's Ring Dings were launched in January 1958. They are still one of the top-selling items. Drake's Funny Bones came out on April 12, 1961.
Drake's Yodels were launched on August 15, 1962. They also remain one of their most popular items. Drake's Fruit Doodles, which were fruit pies, were introduced in October 1964. By the early 1970s, they were known as Drake's Fruit Pies. In 1969, a new bakery was built in Wayne, New Jersey. This bakery helped with production alongside the older bakeries.
Drake's in the 1980s and 1990s
In 1981, Drake Bakeries held a contest to name their duck mascot. The winning name was Webster.
In 1986, Borden announced they would sell Drake Bakeries to Ralston Purina Co. However, another company, Tasty Baking Co., sued Ralston. They argued that Ralston should not own both Drake's and their existing Hostess brand. Tasty Baking Co. won the case.
So, in 1987, Ralston Purina Co. sold Drake Bakeries to a private group. This group was led by Drake's management. It was supported by Rock Capital Partners. By September 1987, Drake's management told their salespeople they would need to buy their sales routes. This was a way to save money and increase earnings for the salespeople.
In April 1988, Drake Bakeries celebrated its "100th anniversary." They cut a huge 500-pound Ring Ding. However, the company was actually founded in 1896. So, this celebration was about eight years early. The 1888 date was when the founder, Newman Drake, first entered the baking industry with another company.
On December 31, 1990, Rock Capital Partners sold Drake Bakeries to Culinar Inc. Culinar was a Canadian food company. They owned the popular Canadian cake brand Vachon. Culinar made changes to improve the bakery operations. This made the company more profitable.
On August 16, 1998, Interstate Bakeries Corporation bought Drake Bakeries from Culinar Inc. Interstate Bakeries added Drake's to their product line. They already owned the Hostess brand.
Drake's in the 2000s and 2010s
Hostess Brands Inc. (which used to be Interstate Bakeries Corporation) faced financial problems. They filed for bankruptcy in 2012. They eventually closed down on November 16, 2012.
On April 9, 2013, McKee Foods Corporation bought the Drake's brand. They paid $27.5 million. McKee Foods brought back Drake's top-selling items on September 22, 2013.
In the fall of 2017, McKee stopped making Drake's Coffee Cakes. Many customers were surprised. However, on July 27, 2018, McKee announced that Drake's Coffee Cakes would return in the fall. They have been available since then.
See also
In Spanish: Drake's Cakes para niños
