What is Doughnation Day?

Doughnation Day is more than just a celebration of delicious baked goods. It’s an opportunity for COBS Bread bakeries to support meaningful causes in our local communities. On this day, participating bakeries donate a portion of their sales to Swim Across America, helping to fund life-saving cancer research.

When you visit your local COBS Bread on Doughnation Day, you can feel good knowing that every freshly baked croissant, loaf of bread, or sweet treat you purchase contributes to the fight against cancer. Together, we can make a real difference.

Participating bakeries include: Compo Acres Bakery, Merrick Bakery, High Ridge Center Bakery, Oceanside Bakery, or Eastchester Bakery

Why Swim Across America?

Swim Across America has been making waves in the fight against cancer since 1987. With open-water and pool swim events held nationwide, they have raised more than 100 million dollars for cancer research and clinical trials. Their commitment to supporting cancer centers and hospitals aligns perfectly with COBS Bread’s values of community and care.

By partnering with Swim Across America, we are helping to bring hope and healing to those affected by cancer. Every dollar raised through Doughnation Day will contribute to groundbreaking research and treatment programs.

How You Can Help

Getting involved is easy and delicious! Here’s how you can participate in Doughnation Day:

1. Visit Your Local COBS Bread: Treat yourself to your favorite baked goods on Doughnation Day, April 5th. $2 from every 6-pack of hot cross buns purchased will be donated to Swim Across America.

2. Spread the Word: Encourage friends and family to share our Doughnation Day event on social media using #DoughnationDay and #SwimAcrossAmerica.

Every Bite Counts

At COBS Bread, we know that even small actions can lead to significant change. By supporting Doughnation Day, you’re helping to fund critical cancer research and providing hope to those in need.

Join us in making a splash for a cause that truly matters. Together with Swim Across America, we’re baking a difference—one delicious bite at a time.

Mark your calendars and get ready to doughnate! For more information on Swim Across America and their inspiring mission, visit www.swimacrossamerica.org.

Donate in bakery

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Our fifth annual Doughnation Day is back on Saturday, April 5th, and we’re fundraising for over 100 causes around the nation. Giving back has never felt so good

Q: What is Doughnation Day?

On Saturday, April 5th, COBS Bread will donate $2 from every 6-pack of hot cross buns sold to support local charities in your community.

Q: How can I help donate to my local charity?

A: Simply pick up a 6-pack of hot cross buns in bakery on April 5th. All donations will go back to the same local charity.

Q: What flavors of hot cross buns do you sell?

We sell three delicious flavors; Traditional Fruit, Apple Cinnamon and Triple Chocolate Chip.

Q: I don’t like hot cross buns, can I still help and donate?

A: Yes! You can add a donation at the point of purchase, to the bakery’s local community charity, at your local COBS Bread Bakery. You can do this anytime you’re in one of our bakeries

Q. Where can I find my nearest COBS Bread?

A: You can find one of our bakeries by typing in your location here. Offering traditional sandwich breads, artisanal loaves and smart indulgences, COBS Bread focuses on helping you bring high quality, healthy and delicious baked goods into your home.

Q: What happens to all your bread products at the end of the day?

A: We bake all of our products fresh every day and then we give fresh every night, so every bread (and treat) finds a home. At the end of every day, our bakeries donate the unsold goods to local charitable programs. Dedicated volunteers then visit our bakeries to pick up the unsold bread and baked goods which they distribute to local charities. With daily needs for food in every city, and growing food waste concerns, each of our locations proudly donates their unsold products.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear Crumbs.

Giving back to your community on Doughnation Day is another reason to love COBS Bread hot cross buns.

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(Stamford, CT) March 30, 2022 – COBS Bread’s annual fundraising and hot cross bun campaign is underway with a focus on encouraging customers to “doughnate” and help COBS Bread bakeries raise funds for The Boys and Girls Clubs in both Stamford and Greenwich.  

In-bakery fundraising efforts at COBS Bread High Ridge (Stamford) and COBS Bread Riverside (Greenwich) all lead up to Doughnation Day on April 2nd, where $2 from the sale of every hot cross bun 6-pack will be donated to each bakery’s charity. Customers can also request to increase their “doughnation” amount on top of their purchase. So far, the bakeries have each raised over $670 through customer “doughnations” alone.  

“We’ve been long time supporters and partners of Boys & Girls Club in both the Stamford and Greenwich communities,” says Rob Hyden, COBS Bread bakery owner. “The immediate and lasting impact they have on the lives of youth in our community is immense. We are grateful to our customers for helping us raise funds for these important charities.” 

The COBS Bread bakeries in both locations will be open regular hours on Doughnation Day on April 2nd. 

COBS Bread hot cross buns are baked fresh from scratch every single day and are made in Traditional Fruit, Cranberry Orange, Apple Cinnamon and Triple Chocolate Chip varieties.  

About COBS BREAD 

 At every one of COBS Bread’s 140+ locations across Canada and the US are hand-crafted bread and flavourful treats, baked fresh every day. Offering traditional sandwich breads, artisanal loaves and smart indulgences, COBS Bread focuses on helping you bring high quality, healthy and delicious baked goods into your home. At the end of the day, all leftover product is donated to local charities.  

COBS Bread is part of Bakers Delight Holdings Ltd, established in 1980 and operating as Bakers Delight in Australia and New Zealand and COBS Bread in Canada and the United States. Together, they have grown to become the world’s most successful bakery franchise with more than 700 bakery locations worldwide. For more information about COBS Bread, please visit www.cobsbread.com.   

Media Inquiries  

Yvonne Anderson, Marketing & Communications Manager 

Yvonne.anderson@cobsbread.com, 604-296-3522  

The post Doughnation Day Fundraiser For Boys & Girls Club On April 2nd appeared first on COBS Bread USA.

From our classic loaves to our artisanal sourdoughs, our bread is baked fresh every day. Like our authentic sourdough process – no vinegars and no shortcuts. Every Sourdough Loaf takes 16-20 hours to make and the dough rests for a few hours at different stages. We don’t speed up the resting process with machines, like some others because this affects the flavor. The end result is bread full of flavor and made with love.

We want to ensure that our customers get the most out of the bread you love whether you’re using it for freshly made sandwiches, morning toast or crunchy croutons in your salads.

Can you freeze bread from COBS?

One of the most common questions we get asked in our bakeries is can you freeze our bread? The answer is yes! You can keep our bread frozen for up to three months. 

Does bread freeze well? 

Many breads can freeze perfectly fine, without any loss to their quality or flavor. The key to keeping the bread’s flavor is down to how you freeze it. The most important thing is to make sure you keep the loaf protected from any air in the freezer. 

Wondering how to make sure your frozen bread lasts? We’ve compiled a few of our top tips that will help your loaf last below.

Our top 5 tips for freezing bread to get the most out of your loaf

1. While you can freeze your bread on any day before it dries out, our advice is to freeze your bread on the day of purchase. This ensures that you get the most quality out of your bread and the freshness stays intact as long as possible.
2. Remove as much air as you can from the bag before placing it in the freezer. No need to store in an extra container, keep the bread in the plastic bread bag given from the bakery.
3. Slicing your bread before you freeze it ensures that you will be able to remove as many slices as you need instead of thawing the entire loaf. No need to slice at home, our bakery offers pre-slicing in two sizes before you leave the bakery.
4. No need to thaw your bread if you plan on eating it toasted. Simply add an extra dial or two to your regular toaster settings. If you plan on thawing your loaf before enjoying it, simply remove from the freezer the night before and leave at room temperature.
5. Wondering how long you can freeze bread? We recommend consuming your frozen bread within 3 months for optimal freshness. However, bread will stay fresh for up to 6 months if stored correctly. We recommend adding an extra layer in the freezer such as aluminum foil or freezer wrap if you plan on keeping the loaf frozen longer than 3 months.

Fact: All of our bread is sold on the day it is was baked.

Another fresh fact: Our breads contain no added preservatives and our Healthy breads contain no added sugar or dairy! Talk about FRESH!

Why is it good to freeze bread? 

Although we always recommend to consume your bread within 3 days of purchasing it for optimal freshness, freezing bread is a great way to keep it fresh for a longer time. Freezing bread is a particularly good idea if you don’t eat bread daily, or don’t go through a full loaf by the time it loses its freshness. 

How to unfreeze bread

If your bread is going in a toaster, no need to think about defrosting bread! Just turn the dial up a notch or two for optimal tastiness.

If you’re making a delicious sandwich, follow these steps in how to perfectly defrost your bread:

1. Remove your slices from the freezer
2. Leave them on a counter for 2 hours before you plan to use it
3. Make into the most tasty sandwich ever using all your fave ingredients

Pressed for time? You can microwave on high uncovered for 15 to 20 seconds to defrost your bread. Visit your local COBS Bread Bakery to pick up one of our fresh and delicious loaves.

The post How To: Freeze Bread like a Pro appeared first on COBS Bread USA.

Let’s call upon COBS Bread Sherwood Centre, in Sherwood Park, Alberta to see how they score for Back to School Giving. This bakery excels in Fundraising, Donations, and overall Student Approval!

Check out this Back to School Giving report card!

Kalvin, the bakery owner, has more than 20 schools on the Fundraising Program. That means that when parents, students, or just about anyone mentions a participating school’s name at the bakery, 5% of that sale is donated back to the school. The school receives a cheque at the end of the year that they can put towards things like new equipment, uniforms, field trips or supplies.

Being so closely connected to the local schools means that Kalvin and his bakery team have a great relationship with the community. When there is something exciting going on that requires fresh donations, the schools contact Kalvin! When they need prizes and a fundraising tactic, Kalvin is their guy! In return, the bakery receives lots of ‘Thank You’ letters from parents, teachers, and students that have benefitted from the generosity.

For overall student approval, COBS Bread Sherwood Centre gets an A+. The fresh Pizza Buns and gooey Cinnamon Buns are a hit! Kalvin makes a point to deliver the baking donations himself so he can see all the kids, and teachers, get excited!

With back to school just around the corner, now is the time to contact your local COBS Bread about your school partnering with COBS Bread.

The post Back to School Giving Report Card appeared first on COBS Bread USA.

Starting Planning EARLY!

Charlotte and Dean, the local owners of COBS Bread Driftwood started thinking about their Community Day before they even had possession of the bakery. Nearly two months before getting the keys to their bakery, they started researching local charities that they could support. That’s how they found the CVCDA, a non-profit organization that serves children and youth with special needs.

Start Baking EARLY!

On a regular Saturday, bakers start as early as 3am. On Community Day, Charlotte had two bakers start at midnight, and then four more Bakers came in between 2am and 7 am, for a total of six bakers kneading, mixing, and filling to meet the big demands for the day.

Bake A LOT!

Speaking of demand, the team baked 15% more product than they would typically make on a busy Saturday. Keep in mind, ALL SALES were being donated, which gave people even more reason to stock up on fresh bread and delicious treats.

Have Fun, A LOT of it!

The whole day was a lot of fun for staff, customers, and volunteers. Customers young and old were able to participate in Fun Bun decorating, and a by-donation BBQ! Volunteers from the CVCDA helped to pass out samples. The energy was electric as everyone felt good about their delicious purchases!

DONATE!

COBS Bread Driftwood Mall raised $4548.28 for the Comox Valley Child Development Fund. Nearly $100 of that was collected in their donation bins from generous community members.

THANKS!

A special thank you to the wonderful volunteers from the CVCDA who helped out through out the day, Charlotte’s father who ran the donation BBQ,  the sales team for their big smiles, the baking team for their delicious baking, and most of all the community for all their support!

The post Behind the Scenes at Community Day with COBS Bread Driftwood appeared first on COBS Bread USA.

Brinder’s two young daughters often join her at the bakery when she is baking. They like watching their mom work. “I like having them there,” shares Brinder. “I like that they see that’s it’s hard work to own a business, but that I enjoy it.”

Brinder’s first bakery was (and still is) the popular Davie Street, Vancouver location. In 2006, Brinder was living in Vancouver’s West End when she went grocery shopping to prepare for a special visit from family. She left the grocery store without the bread she needed. “I didn’t like anything in the grocery’s bakery. I wandered down Davie Street to see if there was anywhere else that sold bread, and I found a COBS Bread bakery. I had never heard of them before. It smelled amazing, and I loved the bread I bought.”

Brinder was curious about the company and checked it out online. “I noticed that they franchised,” said Brinder. “I was interested because I was looking for a change from my current job. I worked as a Business Consultant for a fast-food chain and it was all that I knew,” Brinder reflects. “I wouldn’t have called my self a baker- but I knew how to run a business.”

In addition to that, there were several aspects of the business that really appealed to Brinder. “I found out that they were looking for people who lived in the community to be their bakery owners. That really said something to me,” she said. “Not only that, I loved the End of Day Giving model which involves giving back to the community, in addition, the freshness of the bread, and the high-quality ingredients.”

Brinder took over the bakery in June of 2007. After a few years of running the business, Brinder jumped at the opportunity to purchase the West 4th COBS Bread bakery when it became available for sale. And in 2016, Brinder purchased the coveted Robson Street bakery. To give you a sense, there are 105 franchised COBS Bread bakeries (seven corporate) in Canada with over 84 franchisees – Brinder is one of only three to own more than two bakeries.

In the Community

Brinder quickly became involved in the community. “Owning a business opens up a lot of avenues that you want to explore.” For a long time, Brinder has been a part of the West End Business Improvement Association. “As a small business owner you want to become involved in the local business community to help ensure you have a thriving business for the long term.”

All three of Brinder’s COBS Bread bakeries support local elementary schools with donations and the Fundraising program. They also help AIDS Vancouver raise funds by displaying and selling ribbons in the bakery. The bakery is dedicated to fulfilling donation requests as much as possible from the neighbourhood.

In October 2018, Brinder received the honour of being recognized by the federal government as a business owner who plays a vital role in supporting her community. Because of Brinder’s role in the community and the efforts put forth by her three bakeries, she received a Certificate of Appreciation from their local MP Hedy Fry. (See photo: Brinder left, Hedy Fry right. Photo credit: @HedyFry Twitter account.)

At the Office

Having passionate people and franchisees are an important ingredient in the success of your network. In fact, Brinder is the regional representative in the COBS Bread “Marketing Advisory Committee,” a group of franchisees nominated by their peers who provide feedback on behalf of fellow franchisees on upcoming marketing directives, and more.

We are so fortunate to have people like Brinder as a part of our team, and a part of our community.

The post Brinder Bains, Franchisee and West End Community Staple appeared first on COBS Bread USA.

When did you join the COBS Bread family and what inspired you to do so?

I saw the ad looking for franchisees and went to a COBS Bread. I tried the product and fell in love with it… and then decided to take the leap and open our own COBS!

What did you do before working at COBS?

I have had many years of experience in the food industry, as well as customer service. But my main job, for the last eight or so years, has been raising and taking care of my children.

Why did you decide to open a COBS Bread bakery?

I love baking! My husband had recently sold his business and we were looking for a change. When we saw the ad for COBS Bread, I knew this was something I wanted to do.

What do you enjoy the most about being a franchisee?

Bringing happiness to others through fresh baked goodness!

How are you planning on getting involved in the community?

I plan on being involved with schools, fundraisers, and trade shows.

A little more about me…

I am married with three children.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Anything that involves spending time with my family.

The post Meet Sarah from our first bakery in Lloydminster! appeared first on COBS Bread USA.

When Did You Join the COBS Bread family?

I joined the COBS Bread family in April of 2016. That was when I signed my commitment papers to become a Franchisee in Waterloo. I always had thoughts of being an Owner/Operator of a Franchise – it just took 20+ years to find the best franchise to join. My first bakery, COBS The Boardwalk opened to Community Day on June 5, 2017 in Waterloo. My second bakery, COBS Fairway Plaza will be opening on Mon, December 17, 2018 in Kitchener and we will celebrate our community day, when we donate 100% of sales to a charity on that day, in the new year.

What Did You Do Before Buying a Bakery?

Before joining the COBS network, I was in restaurant management.

Why Did You Choose COBS?

I picked COBS as my Franchisor of choice for a few reasons. I LOVED the product when I tried it. I loved the look, smell and feel of a COBS bakery. The business model from a financial point was attractive. I very much appreciated the process that was involved in becoming a Franchisee. I didn’t want to be part of an organization that allows anyone in without ensuring they are a strong candidate for the brand.

What’s Life Like After Opening Your First Bakery?

I love my COBS life. My bakery is my happy place and having 2 bakeries just makes me happier! I have a huge sense of pride in the product we are putting out. I have the best customers in the world and I look forward to getting to know more at our new location.

Who Are Your Community Partners?

Our new End of Day Giving Partners for Fairway Plaza include: Doon/Pioneer Park Food Cupboard, Out of the Cold, House of Friendship, and Food Bank Elmira. We still have a few spots open. Interested charities can reach out.

I am born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo. I am very connected to this community and that has only grown since I opened The Boardwalk location. Having a second location will allow me to reach that many more organizations throughout the region. I’ve participated in so many product donations and player of the game cards for kids sports teams. I would love to see our presence at more community events in future, and I will always continue to support organizations as I’m able.

What Do You Like To Do In Your Spare Time?

At times I get a little concentrated in my bakery operations, but when time does allow, I love to run! I’ve participated in many marathons and I love our local running community. I keep promising them I’ll get back to more km’s soon.

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