Ace Bakery Limited
MARCUS MARIATHAS
1.800.443.7929 | acebakery.com
ACE Bakery® has been baking the highest-quality artisan breads for over 20 years, following true European baking methods. ACE Bakery breads are made with simple ingredients, no preservatives, and are offered in supermarkets and restaurants across North America. Marcus Mariathas is ACE Bakery’s award-winning Sr. Director of Product Development. In 2016, Marcus competed in the World Cup of Baking Competition in Paris, coming in first place in North America and ranked Top 10 Worldwide in the “Artisan Breads” category.
How did you get involved with this family business?
ACE Bakery opened in 1993 as a small bakery café in Toronto by a couple who was passionate about baking remarkable bread. I joined in 1995 as a night baker while studying accounting in college. Crafting the perfect artisan loaf requires not only patience, but complex calculations, so my field of study came in handy. I got more involved in the business operations, and I decided to start creating new and different artisan bread recipes.
Why did you choose to have a presence in Boston?
Boston is truly a unique place where people enjoy good food, a good time, and appreciate great bread. We are excited to launch our European-style Food Truck for a second year, parking around common areas in the city, and feeding Bostonians Petite Baguettes. Be on the lookout for us this spring!
Have you ever encountered any challenges in the business over the years?
It is imperative for us to keep our baking process unchanged, especially as the business grows and becomes more complex. Many companies cut corners or compromise on recipes in order to increase the volume. That’s not ACE Bakery. We will never cut corners or compromise. The challenge becomes finding the right people who share the same values, and then training them appropriately. When we first started we only had to train a few bakers, and now we train 600.
Do you have any advice for other business owners on how to build and maintain a successful business?
Believe in what you are doing. What is driving our business is the passion the owners had for making great bread, which has trickled down into the company culture today. Making the highest-quality artisan breads is our end goal. That hasn’t changed, and it will never change.
Has your business stayed true to the founding family’s original mission?
Since day one, ACE Bakery has been baking artisan bread using natural ingredients, no preservatives, long fermentation periods, and baking in a stone-deck oven. It took 13 hours to bake our White Baguette in 1993, and it still does today. No matter how much we grow, we will never take shortcuts. We are on a mission to have Boston discover bread the way it’s supposed to be: Great!
What is the biggest lesson you have learned working in a family business?
It’s interesting because culture is very unique in a family business. It is a “culture & passion first” type of operation. The reason you go to work every day is not because it’s a job—it’s a passion. In a family business, no matter how big or small it is, everyone operates like a family. We learn together, grow together, and ideas are shared and brought to life together. You do not need to own the business to feel like you are part of the family.