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GET A PIECE OF THE BLACK BREAD COMPANY

A Black-Owned Gourmet Sliced Bread Company

Black Bread Co. is an African American-owned and operated business that manufactures and sells bread products. We believe the company is unique in that it taps into the under-represented segment of the bread industry that features black-owned businesses. Its products are full of flavor and void of additives, which is why it has become one of the most visible and recognizable bread brands in its market.

This Reg CF offering is made available through StartEngine Capital, LLC. This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

$1,017,933.98 Raised

Reasons to Invest

  • Over $263,000 in sales within the last year, 45,000 social media followers+ , strong product and service ratings, and national recognition due to high-profile press.

  • The global bakery market had an estimated worth of $331.37 billion in 2020 with a positive growth rate. (Source

  • Black Bread Co. reinvests its profits in disenfranchised communities through mentoring programs, job security, and donations.






Overview


It started with three best friends and a vision



Owners and founders Charles Alexander, Mark Edmond, and Jamel Lewis are South-Side Chicago natives who came together with an idea: start one of the first Black-owned sliced bread companies in the world.  Their bread embodies their pledge to provide their customers [#BreadWinners] with high-quality, fresh products to invest in the generational progression of marginalized communities and empower and encourage creativity in young entrepreneurs.

THE PROBLEM


Consumers crave an alternative to cheap, unhealthy bread



One of the unforeseen effects of the pandemic was a surge in popularity for baking bread. (Source) This sudden popularity for baked goods, specifically bread, also brought with it a demand for better-quality, and often times healthier, bread. Many commercially available pre-packaged breads feature highly processed ingredients that are less healthy than their less processed or natural counterparts. (Source)


Artificial additives may improve the shelf-life of commercial pre-packaged breads, but that doesn’t equate to improved nutritional value, or taste of the product. (Source) Consumers are becoming more savvier about their health and nutrition, and with this increase in awareness comes an opportunity to address a growing need.


THE SOLUTION


Black Bread Company makes high-quality bread



Black Bread Co’s solution to the problem of poor subpar bread is our fresh tasting bread. We stripped common additives from our recipes like potassium bromotes, Azodicarbonamide, BHT, BHAs, and even high fructose corn syrup to make a bread that’s simply delectable. Our products are big on flavor, low on additives, and taste like they came right out of the oven.



Black Bread Co. currently sells four premium products: premium white bread, honey wheat bread, premium soft white hotdog buns, and premium soft white hamburger buns. We sell our products to Mariano’s grocery stores and via Grocery Store Run or directly to consumers nationwide through our website. We also sell branded merchandise such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, onesies, and coffee mugs through our website. 



Black Bread Co. gives our consumers the option of making a one-time purchase through our website or to sign up for our subscription services where they receive recurring bread orders on a monthly basis at a 10% discount. Lastly, we sell bulk orders of our bread products at a discounted price to partnering restaurants, depending on the size of the order and the length of the partnership. 

THE MARKET


Great flavor and healthy ingredients for modern sensibilities



A 2019 study conducted by the American Bakers Association revealed bread was one of the top five products (Source) purchased among Millennials (consumers 25-40) and Gen Z customers (consumers 18-24). To meet the sensibilities of our target market, we aim to make delicious bread with quality ingredients. We are also expanding our products to offer a wider variety of healthier breads.


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A point of pride for Black Bread Co. is that we are a minority-owned and operated business with a cause. Not only do we sell bread, but we also invest in marginalized and disenfranchised communities. Moreover, we are fighting food waste by selling our products in quantities of 2, 6, and 10, so families don’t overbuy and accidentally waste food.


Lastly, and most importantly, we dedicate a portion of every loaf of bread sold to the distribution of free bread for those in need. For example, in 2021, Black Bread Co. donated boxes of free bread to families devastated by the natural disaster in Texas. It’s our way of giving back to those who need it most.


OUR TRACTION


In just a year, we’ve launched into the national spotlight


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Since our inception in February of 2021, we have generated over $263,000. We have secured strategic partnerships with household companies such as Target, Mariano's Foods, Chicago Bulls, Gourmet Foods International (Distribution), and Levy Restaurants.    



Black Bread Co. has also benefited from an immense amount of national media attention. Our most notable appearance was when we were featured on the Ellen Degeneres Show and received a check for $20,000.   



Additionally, we have been featured by ABC 7 Windy City Live, NBC 5 Chicago, Discovery+, the Mike Hill Show, Fox Soul, and OWN Network. Our social media following has blossomed to over 25K on Instagram and over 26K on Facebook.  





WHY INVEST


Invest in Black Bread Co. so we can invest in our community


Becoming a shareholder in Black Bread Co. satisfies a financial and social need. Financially speaking, you would be backing one of the only minority-owned and operated bread businesses that’s experiencing booming momentum in a multi-billion dollar industry. Socially, you would be transitively investing in disenfranchised communities and the betterment of young entrepreneurs. Help us help others and make potentially healthy returns by investing in Black Bread Co.



ABOUT

HEADQUARTERS
1100 W Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60608

Black Bread Co. is an African American-owned and operated business that manufactures and sells bread products. We believe the company is unique in that it taps into the under-represented segment of the bread industry that features black-owned businesses. Its products are full of flavor and void of additives, which is why it has become one of the most visible and recognizable bread brands in its market.

TEAM

Mark Edmond
Mark Edmond
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer

Mark is a seriel entreprenuer, owning a real estate construction company & founder of Pokatidy popcorn. 

Jamel Lewis
Jamel Lewis
Co-Founder, President, & Director

Jamel is a nationally recognized recording artist and marketing guru.

Charles Alexander
Charles Alexander
Co-Founder & COO

Charles is a Communications Professor & founder of non-profit, Speak Hope.

TERMS

The Black Bread Company
Overview
PRICE PER SHARE
$2.78
DEADLINE
Sep 17, 2022
VALUATION
$25.02M
FUNDING GOAL
$10k - $1.07M
Breakdown
MIN INVESTMENT
$250.20
MAX INVESTMENT
$1,069,877.44
MIN NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
3,596
MAX NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
384,848
OFFERING TYPE
Equity
ASSET TYPE
Common Stock
SHARES OFFERED
Class B Common Stock

Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares

*Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares. See Bonus info below.

Investment Incentives and Bonuses*

Time-Based:

Friends and Family Early Birds

Invest within the first 72 hours and receive 15% bonus shares.

Super Early Bird Bonus

Invest within the first week and receive 10% bonus shares.

Early Bird Bonus

Invest within the first two weeks and receive an 5% bonus shares.

Amount-Based

Bronze Investor | $500+

Invest $500 and receive 1 year free annual subscription + $25 BBCo merch card.

Silver Investor | $1,000+

Invest $1,000 and receive Investors’ Club membership + 1 year free bread subscription + $60 BBCo merch card.

Gold Investor | $5,000+

Invest $5,000 and receive 5% bonus shares + 3 year free bread subscription + $150 BBCo merch card + Investors’ Club membership + free invitation to annual Black Bread Gala.

Platinum Investor | $10,000+

Invest $10,000 and receive 10% bonus shares + 5 year free annual subscription + $300 BBCo merch gift card + Investors’ Club membership + free invitation to annual Black Bread Gala.

Diamond Investor | $20,000+

Invest $20,000 and receive 20% bonus shares + Dinner with all 3 founders + 10 year free annual subscription + $500 BBCo merch gift card + Investors’ Club membership + free invitation to annual Black Bread Gala.

*All perks occur when the offering is completed.

The 10% StartEngine Owners' Bonus

The Black Bread Company will offer 10% additional bonus shares for all investments that are committed by investors that are eligible for the StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc. OWNer's bonus.

This means eligible StartEngine shareholders will receive a 10% bonus for any shares they purchase in this offering. For example, if you buy 100 shares of Common B Stock at $2.78 / share, you will receive 110 shares Common B Stock, meaning you'll own 110 shares for $278. Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share.

This 10% Bonus is only valid during the investors' eligibility period. Investors eligible for this bonus will also have priority if they are on a waitlist to invest and the company surpasses its maximum funding goal. They will have the first opportunity to invest should room in the offering become available if prior investments are canceled or fail.

Investors will only receive a single bonus, which will be the highest bonus rate they are eligible for.

Irregular Use of Proceeds

The Company might incur Irregular Use of Proceeds that may include but are not limited to the following over $10,000: Vendor payments. Salary payments made to one’s self, a friend or relative. Inter company debt or back payments.

PRESS

Article Image
Men Getting to the Dough: Get to Know the Founders of the First-Ever Black-Owned Sliced Bread Company

These three best friends are getting to the dough — literally! Mark Edmond, Charles Alexander, and Jamel Lewis are the brains behind the first-ever Black-owned sliced bread company in the world.

Article Image
Meet The Men Behind The First Black-Owned Sliced Bread Company

To paraphrase the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, “You don’t need to see the entire staircase, you just need to take the first step.” Taking that first step is exactly what three best friends from Chicago did.

Article Image
Black Bread Co. featured on Tina Knowles-Lawson docuseries

"Profiled: The Black Man," a four-part OWN series on the Discovery+ network, debuted Saturday, featuring the company's owners and co-founders.

Article Image
The world's first and only Black-owned sliced bread company

It's the first of its kind. A black-owned gourmet sliced bread company. Three best friends from the South Side of Chicago are making history in the bread industry.

Article Image
Three Chicago Entrepreneurs Build The Black Bread Co. on Friendship and Fortitude During the Pandemic

“He went into the bread aisle, and he was looking to support a Black-owned sliced bread company. He said he was in the aisle for about 45 minutes, looking and Googling all of the brands in the aisle to see if there were any African-American owners or executives. He couldn’t find any.”

ALL UPDATES

REWARDS

Multiple investments in an offering cannot be combined to qualify for a larger campaign perk. Get rewarded for investing more into The Black Bread Company.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

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PINNED BY STARTUP

DS
Doris Shelton

a year ago

May the Lord continue to bless you!! Thanks for this opportunity to invest in an awesome product!!

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Mario Teel Jr.

2 months ago

Any updates?

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LH
Lorna Harrington

8 months ago

I am a silver investor

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LH
Lorna Harrington

8 months ago

I would like to know is there something that I need to do to receive my perks for investing. I haven't received anything as of yet. I received my perks from the other companies,but not here.

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NP
Nicole Pitre Ewing

8 months ago

I have received nothing as well. It’s been 8 months.

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Nicole Pitre Ewing

8 months ago

Has anyone else received their investor perks? It’s been over 8 months and I’ve received nothing.

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Anthony Cannady

8 months ago

I'd like to get in as a Gold or Platinum investor

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LW
Lovell Wallace

10 months ago

I'm glad to be part of the investment. When will be the next update and when will we receive the gift certificates? Thank you.

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Tiffany Mack-Mohammed

a year ago

Is there a waitlist for those who want to still invest?

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AO
Aleshia Odom

a year ago

I am so proud to know that I was an investor and believer in the possibilities of creating a nutritional brand that is not only by us, for us, but for the World to partake in. This is what Black Excellence (Excellence, period!) looks like. I thank God that we’re living from the Over Flow…. God Bless you Kings & your families, Minister Aleshía 🙏🏾❤️

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HOW INVESTING WORKS

Cancel anytime before 48 hours before a rolling close or the offering end date.

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RAISED
$1,017,933.98
INVESTORS
1,759
MIN INVEST
$250.20
VALUATION
$25.02M

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