Frequently Asked Questions
About Gonnella
How long has Gonnella Baking Company been in business?
Gonnella has been proudly baking since 1886—nearly 140 years of tradition, quality, and innovation.
Is Gonnella family-owned and operated?
Yes, Gonnella is a multi-generational, family-owned business with deep roots in the baking industry.
Where are your bakeries located, and what is your distribution reach?
We operate multiple production facilities in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Washington, enabling us to provide strong national coverage. This strategic footprint allows for shorter lead times, reduced freight costs, and a reliable supply chain across the U.S.
What industries does Gonnella serve?
We serve a wide range of industries including foodservice, convenience stores, and retail in-store bakery, deli and prepared foods.
What certifications does Gonnella hold?
At Gonnella, integrity and excellence are baked into our DNA. We proudly hold a range of certifications that showcase our commitment to safety, quality, sustainability, and social responsibility—no shortcuts, no compromises:
BRCGS — We comply with BRCGS standards across multiple facilities, upholding global supply chain assurance in food safety, Ethical Trade, and ESG initiatives.
Kosher (OU Certified) — Most of our frozen dough—and many of our fresh-baked products—carry the respected Orthodox Union kosher certification, aligning with cultural and dietary needs.
RSPO Certification — Our palm oil is responsibly sourced under RSPO guidelines, ensuring transparency, traceability, and minimized environmental impact.
- Sedex Membership — As a Sedex member, we’re committed to improving social and environmental performance across our supply chain—protecting the people behind every ingredient.
Together, these certifications speak not only to the quality of our products, but also to our values: safety, sustainability, accountability, and community.
Are Gonnella facilities GFSI certified?
Yes. All our bakeries operate under stringent food safety programs and are GFSI-certified, ensuring full compliance, robust traceability, and consistent quality assurance our partners can trust.
Products & Offerings
What types of bread products do you offer?
We offer a broad variety of loaves, rolls, buns, and specialty breads in different shapes, sizes, and formulations.
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Frozen Dough: Ideal for bakeries and foodservice operators who want on-site baking flexibility. Our frozen dough arrives ready to proof and bake, delivering fresh-baked quality every time. This line includes a wide range of families such as Traditional, Crusty Breads, Pan Breads, Specialty Breads, Long Rolls, Dinner Rolls, Hispanic Rolls, Pizza Dough, French Rolls, Round Rolls, Hamburger Buns, and Hot Dog Buns.
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Baked Frozen: For maximum convenience, these products are fully baked and flash-frozen to preserve optimal freshness, quality, and flavor. Simply thaw to serve or display—perfect for both retail and foodservice settings. Options include Pretzel Breads, Specialty Breads, Pan Breads, Hamburger Buns, Gonnella Branded Consumer Packaged Products and Non-Branded Consumer Packaged Products, Dinner Rolls, French Rolls, Individually Wrapped Buns, Traditional Breads, Hispanic Rolls, Hot Dog Buns, Crusty Breads, Long Rolls, and more.
From there, you can explore all our expertly crafted bakery categories, designed to meet evolving market and consumer demands:
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Sandwich Carriers / Specialty Rolls: Our Sandwich Roll Family includes virtually endless roll varieties engineered for flavor and durability, offering excellent performance in hot and cold environments. From artisan pretzel, brioche and ciabatta buns, to a variety of french rolls built for hearty sandwiches, to global breads like Telera, Bolillo Naan and Cuban, our sandwiches deliver.
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Traditional and Crusty Loaves: Traditional French, Italian Breads and Baguettes that capture the crisp crust, airy crumb and traditional craftmanship passed down through generations. Classic favorites of traditional ryes and a variety of flavors our sourdough, all versatile foundations for sandwiches, toast or displays.
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Specialty Breads & Global Varieties: Keep up with trends and seasonal demand with offerings like our artisan ciabatta and focaccia breads, Hispanic Bolillo, Telera and cuban breads, Global Naan and Pita and specialty Irish, Apple Cinnamon and Cranberry Orange Soda breads.
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Buns & Dinner Rolls: Our Dinner Roll Family and Traditional categories include soft, satisfying options that pair well with any meal, from everyday dinners to special occasions.
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On-Trend & Seasonal Lines: Capitalize on the trends of global, sourdough, and artisan breads. Whether a staple in your operation or a limited time favorite – these premium offerings meet the shifts in consumer taste and demand while maintaining the highest quality products and performance customers expect from Gonnella products.
If you’re curious which form or category best fits your workflow, volume, or customer preferences, we’re here to help. Just reach out—our team can guide you toward the right solution.
What is the difference between your baked frozen and frozen dough products?
Frozen dough is ready for proofing and baking on-site, while baked frozen products are fully baked and ready to thaw and serve or thaw and sell.
Do you offer clean label or plant-based products?
Yes, clean label and plant-based options are a growing focus across our product lines to meet evolving customer preferences.
Are your products allergen-friendly?
Yes—our baked goods are crafted to minimize allergen risks while supporting diverse customer needs:
Peanut & Tree Nut Free: All of our facilities are peanut and tree nut free. There’s no risk of cross-contamination at our facilities.
Sesame‑Seed Free Production: All of our facilities are sesame seed free, offering extra confidence to customers with sesame allergies.
Kosher Certification: The majority of our frozen dough and baked frozen products are Kosher Pareve certified and carry the Orthodox Union OU kosher symbol.
We also offer allergen-specific guidance or documentation upon request.
Do you offer custom baking solutions for your clients?
Yes, we provide custom baking solutions for c-store, retail, and foodservice partners using our extensive baking expertise. Gonnella also offers private label solutions across channels and industries. We focus on custom baking partnerships designed for efficiency, consistency, and scale. While we specialize in high-volume orders, we’re always happy to explore how we can support your needs—whether you’re scaling up or just getting started.
Can Gonnella create custom formulas or sizes for chain accounts?
Yes. Our R&D team collaborates closely with customers to develop custom bread formulas, sizes, and formats tailored to precise menu specifications or merchandising needs.
Can you support both private label and branded bakery products?
Absolutely. We provide both Gonnella-branded items and private label solutions. Many of our customers trust us to bring their brand to life with custom packaging and exclusive formulas, while others rely on the strength of the Gonnella name and its nearly 140-year heritage.
What product formats are available (par-baked, frozen dough, fully baked)?
We offer products in frozen dough, par-baked, and fully baked frozen formats to meet diverse operational needs.
Do your products work in hot-hold, cold-hold, and grab-and-go foodservice at retail programs?
Yes. Our breads and rolls are specifically developed to perform in all environments whether held hot in a deli case, served cold in a sandwich program, or packaged for grab-and-go. From submarine rolls to premium buns, we craft products designed for lasting freshness, durability, and exceptional eating quality across a wide range of applications.
Do you provide innovation support for LTOs (limited-time offers)?
Yes. Gonnella partners with customers to design and supply innovative bread platforms for LTOs, offering quick turnaround on samples, culinary collaboration, and the production capacity to scale successful promotions.
Can you match or replicate an existing bread product for a chain?
Yes, we specialize in product matching and have extensive experience replicating existing bread products. Whether it’s recreating a signature roll to ensure consistency across a system or developing a clean-label or cost-optimized alternative, we tailor solutions to meet your exact needs.
Ordering & Distribution
Do you have minimum order quantities?
Minimums may apply depending on the product and distribution channel. Please reach out via the contact form below for specific details.
Do you have national distribution through Dot Foods or other broadline distributors?
Yes, our products are readily available through Dot Foods and other major broadline distributors, ensuring easy access for grocery retailers, foodservice operators, and convenience store chains nationwide.
Can I find Gonnella-branded products in retail stores?
Select Gonnella-branded products are available in retail grocery and convenience stores, depending on the region.
What distributors carry Gonnella products?
We partner with many major foodservice and retail distributors. Contact us via the contact form below for a list of partners in your area.
How do you ensure supply continuity and consistency across multiple regions?
We ensure supply continuity and consistency through strategic investments in capacity and redundancy across our facilities. Standardized processes and rigorous quality assurance systems help us deliver uniform product quality while minimizing disruptions, even during peak demand or regional supply challenges.
Where can I find Gonnella products, and do you sell directly to consumers?
Gonnella is primarily a B2B bakery supplier, partnering with grocery stores, restaurants, and convenience store operators nationwide. While we do not sell directly to consumers, many of our breads and rolls are available in the fresh in-store bakery sections of local grocery stores, often under the store’s own private label.
You can bring the taste of our bakery straight to your home! Select products are available for purchase through FoodServiceDirect.com. Browse, order, and enjoy your favorites delivered right to your door.
Does Gonnella have a retail store or outlet?
No, Gonnella no longer operates a retail store or outlet.
Sustainability & Ingredients
What steps is Gonnella taking toward sustainability and reducing food waste?
We are committed to sustainability through continuous investments in upgrading our bakeries with energy-efficient equipment and optimizing production processes to minimize waste. Additionally, we develop product formulas that extend shelf life and collaborate closely with customers to design right-sized products, helping to reduce shrink and food waste at the retail level.
Do you use responsibly sourced ingredients?
Yes. We are committed to sourcing high-quality ingredients from trusted suppliers who meet strict standards for food safety, sustainability, and responsible farming practices.
Do you use preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors?
Our clean label products are free from artificial ingredients. For other products, ingredient information is available upon request.
What steps does Gonnella take to reduce its environmental impact?
We focus on energy efficiency, water stewardship, sustainable packaging, and fuel-efficient transportation to reduce our footprint. In addition, as a Sedex® member, Gonnella participates in the SMETA 4-Pillar audit, a rigorous ethical assessment covering Labor Standards, Health & Safety, Environmental Management, and Business Ethics—ensuring continuous improvement and transparency throughout our supply chain.
Where are your ingredients sourced from?
The majority of our ingredients are sourced domestically from trusted U.S. suppliers who align with our sustainability and quality values.
Partnerships & Support
Does Gonnella offer custom baking solutions?
Absolutely. We offer contract baking and private label services tailored to your brand‚ needs and scale. We have options available across all industry channels, including retail, foodservice, and private label. Please reach out via the contact form below for more information.
What’s the process of becoming a new Gonnella partner?
Getting started is easy. Simply contact our sales team to discuss your needs, request samples, or submit an RFP. We’ll work closely with you to identify the best products and solutions for your business and guide you seamlessly through the onboarding process.
Who do I contact for customer service or product support?
Our customer service team is available via contact form on our website.
How do I contact Gonnella for a quote or RFP?
You can reach us directly using the contact us section below, or by contacting our sales team directly. We’re always ready to review your specifications, provide samples, and prepare customized proposals tailored to your business needs.
Do you supply national chains as well as regional and independent operators?
Yes. Gonnella partners with some of the nation’s largest restaurant, grocery, and c-store chains, while also supporting regional and independent operators. Our flexible production and distribution model allows us to scale from local programs to nationwide rollouts.
Do you work directly with buyers or through broker networks?
We work with both. We have direct relationships with numerous national and regional chains, while also partnering with experienced broker networks to offer local support, category expertise, and comprehensive market coverage.
Do you have experience supporting large-scale rollouts for new menu items?
Yes. We frequently partner with national and regional chains on system-wide product launches, from sandwich platforms to seasonal promotions, delivering with the scale, consistency and logistical expertise needed to support every market.
Do you provide technical support, virtual training or troubleshooting to support your products?
Yes. Gonnella offers comprehensive technical support to our partners. Our bakery technicians and account managers can provide on-site training, virtual sessions, and troubleshooting resources to ensure your teams succeed. We also develop training materials including videos, guides, and step-by-step procedures designed to simplify onboarding and maintain operational consistency for multi-unit chains and retail operators.
How do I find the handling procedures, product specification sheets or nutritional info for your products?
Detailed handling instructions, product specification sheets and nutritional information are available upon request, covering storage, thawing, baking (if applicable), and merchandising guidelines. For chain accounts, we can also develop customized SOPs tailored specifically to your operations.
What kind of equipment is recommended for processing your products?
Our products are designed for easy handling across various retail and foodservice settings. Most thaw-and-sell breads and rolls require minimal equipment, simply thaw and merchandise. For par-baked or frozen dough items, we recommend standard commercial convection or rack ovens, and in some cases impinger ovens, to ensure optimal baking and consistent results. Our sales and technical teams are available to advise on the best equipment solutions tailored to your operation, whether you’re a high-volume restaurant or an in-store bakery
Contact Us
Have a question that’s not covered above? Fill out the form below and a member of our team will be happy to assist you. We’re here to help with anything you need.