Hamptons Cookie Maker Tate's Bake Shop Sold For $500 Million (2024)

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - Tate's, the once humble bake shop in the Hamptons, is being sold for $500 million to Mondelez International Inc., the snack food giant that makes Oreos cookies and Ritz crackers.

Renown for its signature chocolate chip cookie, Tate's Bake Shop uses brown cane sugar and salted butter, instead of more commercially common high fructose corn syrup.

CBS2's Jennifer McLogan spoke with the woman behind the bake shop Friday.

"Everyone is worried that the taste will change," McLogan said.

"No," said Kathleen King. "They intend to keep it the way it is."

She's about to kiss it all goodbye, and her Southampton community is crushed.

"When the signing happened, I started to cry," she said.

The emotions sent her back in time to baking her first cookies at age 11, selling them locally on the family's North Sea farm.

"At the farm and teasing my brother that I was going to be the best cookie in America one day, you'll see," King recalled.

They went from 5 cents a cookie to $500 million for her company. But she won't pocket all of that -- she's a minor shareholder of her cookie empire, now producing 1.5 million cookies a day in their East Moriches factory.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Tate's sales quadrupled in the past five years.

King said she plans to keep baking for family and friends even after Tate's is sold.

"It's just another change," she said, adding change often brings something better.

Mondelez, based in Illinois, was created to produce snack food lines after splitting off from Kraft Foods in 2012. It currently does $25 billion in sales annually.

The Tate's buy marks the first acquisition by chief executive Dirk Van de Put, who took over at Mondelez last November.

Hamptons Cookie Maker Tate's Bake Shop Sold For $500 Million (2024)

FAQs

How much did Kathleen King sell Tate's cookies for? ›

Kathleen King, founder of Tate's Bake Shop, recently passed her legacy into new hands when the company sold to Mondolēz International for $500 million. King didn't reach this level of success without a few setbacks, which taught her two important lessons about being an entrepreneur.

How much is Tate's bake shop worth? ›

You're finding me and my CEO wrapped up in one person. At just 23 years old.” King founded and sold her cookie brand, Tate's Bake Shop, to Mondelez for $500 million in 2018.

What happened to Kathleen's bake shop? ›

“I made a terrible business decision because I trusted people,” says Kathleen. “Now I trust people with my eyes open!” A year of lawsuits ensued, and Kathleen lost the business, the name Kathleen's Bake Shop and owed $200,000 in debt. She had nothing left except the building she had purchased to house the shop.

How much was Tate's sold for? ›

The Riverside Company has sold Tate's Bake Shop, Inc. to global snacks company Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) for US$530 million. Tate's is a fast-growing, premium cookie and baked goods brand renowned nationwide for its signature thin, crispy cookies and simple, authentic, high-quality ingredients.

Who owns the Tates cookie company? ›

KANSAS CITY — Since Mondelez International, Inc. acquired Tate's Bake Shop for $528 million in 2018, each company has benefited from the other's dominant traits.

Who is the CEO of Tate's bake shop? ›

Tate's Bakeshop CEO, Esi Seng sat down with Portland Press Herald CEO Lisa DeSisto for a conversation at The Roux Institute at Northeastern University on Wednesday, March 6.

How much is Tate worth now? ›

Net Worth Breakdown
Financial InformationAmount
Net Worth$710 Million
Net Worth in Rupees₹7,250 Crore
Annual Income$70 Million
Crypto Investments$150 Million
7 more rows

How is Tate a billionaire? ›

Andrew Tate made his money from a variety of sources, including: His professional kickboxing career, during which he won multiple world championships. His various businesses, such as his online courses, casinos, and webcam business. His social media presence, where he has millions of followers.

Who is Trillionaire Tate? ›

The 2023 report by DIICOT shone a light on Andrew Tate's real net worth and dispelled bombastic estimates about his wealth that were circulating the internet in the past. Tate previously stated that he had a net worth of $100 million by age 31 and even jokingly referred to himself as the world's first trillionaire.

What is the controversy with Tate's bake shop? ›

Tate's Bake Shop in New York reportedly threatened undocumented workers with deportation if they voted to unionize. Employees told local news outlets in New York that some of them are being harassed, and also alleged that they are working in unsafe conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.

What was the original name of Tate's cookies? ›

By 1980, she opened her first shop in Southhampton, New York, at 21 years old, naming it Kathleen's Cookie which then turned into Kathleen's Bake Shop, according to the Times. However, King's path to where she is today was less than sweet.

What happened to tates cookies? ›

In June, Riverside sold Tate's for $500 million to Mondolēz International, who has increased cookie production from 1.5 million cookies a week to one million cookies a day. King is officially out of the business and finally retired — at least for now.

How much are Tate's cookies worth? ›

Hamptons Cookie Maker Tate's Bake Shop Sold For $500 Million - CBS New York.

How much is Tate's house worth? ›

The American-born Brit was one of four people arrested in connection with an investigation into alleged human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group. Tate, 36, was filmed being taken away in cuffs on Thursday and Romanian police raided the complex worth a reported £600,000.

How much did mondelez pay for tates cookies? ›

Mondelez, the conglomerate behind brands Oreo, Chips Ahoy, and Ritz Crackers, will acquire cookie maker Tate's Bake Shop for $500 million in cash. As first reported in The Wall Street Journal, the deal is expected to close this summer. Tate's, a Southampton, N.Y.

Which is the world's best selling brand of cookie at a rate of 6 billion sold each year? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Last Updated:

Views: 6036

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Amb. Frankie Simonis

Birthday: 1998-02-19

Address: 64841 Delmar Isle, North Wiley, OR 74073

Phone: +17844167847676

Job: Forward IT Agent

Hobby: LARPing, Kitesurfing, Sewing, Digital arts, Sand art, Gardening, Dance

Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.