Simple Origins
Cherie Roberge emigrated from Canada in 1925, settling in Troy, Vermont. He opened a small bakery, making bread and rolls which he delivered to local stores via horse-drawn wagon.
Romeo Steps In
When Cherie passed away, his son Romeo took over the bakery and ran it for a time until he decided to move to Burlington to work for the National Biscuit Company.
Koffee Kup Bakery Opens
Romeo’s son Rosaire began his career working at Fassetts Bakery while still a student. Rosaire soon found himself drawn back to the idea of baking it his way. So, in 1940, Rosaire started Koffee Kup Bakery. Rosaire would make a fresh batch of donuts each night, then early the next morning, deliver them by bicycle to select mom-and-pop stores in Burlington.
World War II Hiatus
World War II brought supply shortages of all kinds, including baking ingredients. With flour and sugar hard to come by for a small baker, Rosaire went back to work for Fassetts and continued to make his donuts there.
Koffee Kup Resumes
After the war, when ingredients again became widely available, Rosaire decided it was time to make his move. He put down $150 to buy a small panel truck, frying kettle and bowls from a small bakery called Barnes and Fay’s. His first hire was his brother-in-law, George Griffin. Smart decision—George would work for Rosaire, and later for Rosaire’s son, Ron, until his retirement.
Riverside Avenue
Koffee Kup moves into its current 50,000 square-foot Riverside Avenue location. Ron designs ovens and techniques that exist in no other bakery anywhere else in the world.
Ron Roberge in Vietnam
Ron went to Vietnam with the Vermont National Guard. A bunch of homesick young men found it a little easier to be away from Burlington when Ron fashioned his own donut cutter from a tin can and a light bulb socket and made Koffee Kup donuts and crullers for his fellow soldiers.
Passing the Torch
Rosaire handed off the rolling pin (so to speak) to Ron in 1969. Ron had begun his baking career at 14, and, over time, he worked every job in the bakery. He designs (or re-designs) all machinery in-house to live up to the Roberge family’s handmade standards.
Rolling Out The Bread
Louis Roberge, Ron’s uncle, always had a passion for breads, so much so that he wanted to do it his way, on a large scale. So, Ron took him into the business, and on Christmas Eve day, 1971, Koffee Kup rolled out its first bread. Soon, Koffee Kup would be baking grinder rolls, dinner rolls, fresh bread and more. Even as Ron tinkered with the bakery ovens in his endless pursuit of the perfect system, Louis insisted on making the bread by hand. Finally convinced the machinery was up to his exacting standards, Louis embraced the equipment that today makes Koffee Kup a perfect blend of technological efficiency and human touch.
Rapid Rise
Between 1971 and 1977, Koffee Kup expanded rapidly as demand for the bakery’s fresh-made products grew region-wide. But, even as small bakeries everywhere went out of business or were bought up by conglomerates, and even as pressure grew to make breads and donuts in a certain “modern” way, the Roberge family insisted on doing it the right way.
Family Pride and the Birth of Mr. Cruller
Carol Roberge joined the company as a part-time office worker and was soon worked full-time helping throughout the bakery. Carol then worked in human resources and bookkeeping. Along the way, she also created the iconic Mr. Cruller, a crowd favorite. Three of Carol and Ron’s kids worked in the company – Steven (21 years at the bakery) in the maintenance department, daughter Laurie (24 years) in the office, and Ron, Jr. (26 years) as the plant manager.
Ron Roberge Retires
Ron remained an active and vibrant presence at the bakery until his official retirement in 1995.
2011 and Beyond
With ownership changes in 2011 and the acquisition of Vermont Bread in 2013, Koffee Kup Bakery expanded its reach throughout New England, the NYC Tri-State area, Washington DC, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Today, our products reflect the same unwavering commitment to quality, taste and value that our family owners, past and present, strived for over the past decades. We remain committed to the local areas we serve, to the communities we reach, and continue to do so with the same down-to-earth family values that guided our company through the years.
