Dough Bakery was ranked 22nd on the 2024 Deloitte Fast 50 Index.
In 2020, when pandemic lockdowns hit, Tim and Mia Tracey were facing an uncertain future. Their Wellington deli, Pickle & Pie, was already a breakout hit, with a loyal following and a reputation for high quality sandwiches, pies and salads.
But with CBD foot traffic dwindling, and doors temporarily closed, Tim and Mia needed to find new ways to bring their products to their customers. They packed their goods into a caravan and brought it to their community in Hutt Valley - a mobile solution that not only sustained their business but also fostered a deeper appreciation for what they could offer to their local neighbourhood.
Before long, the caravan was turning over enough for the pair to view it as a legitimate adjacent offering. And soon enough, they had caught the attention of the Mayor of Upper Hutt who was on the lookout for a tenant to operate in the Council’s Whirinaki building.
At the same time, Tim, like so many others during the pandemic’s peak, was perfecting his sourdough. Initially hesitant to take on the tenancy, Tim and Mia saw the growth potential stemming from the large commercial kitchen in the council building, envisioning it as a hub for baking bread - a costly item they had been purchasing in large quantities for the Pickle & Pie operations.
Tim and Mia took on the challenge and established a new brand – Dough Bakery – a bakery that stocks high-quality artisan baked goods.
Dough’s growth trajectory is nothing short of impressive. From a single sit-down café, Dough has expanded to five bustling locations across the greater Wellington region in just four years. The Dough food truck is a firm farmer’s market favourite and Dough products are now stocked by 30 wholesale customers.
Chef Tim, with a vast network across Wellington, leveraged connections to pitch Dough’s baked goods to cafés, restaurants, and pizza joints to expand the wholesale arm of the business, which has been a key factor in Dough’s rapid growth.
They’ve even taken on a contract with a large pizza chain, supplying bread items nationwide. By tweaking products slightly, and focusing on a few core items, Dough delivers something different to each of its wholesale customers and does it efficiently as well. This savvy strategy has fuelled the business’ rapid expansion while maintaining the high standards the brand is known for.
Despite the initial reluctance, opening a shop in Upper Hutt proved to be a transformative decision. Tim and Mia embraced the philosophy of being part of the change they wanted to see, offering something new and unique to their local community. The approach paid off, with each store fostering a unique energy that keeps a loyal customer base returning to their local time and again.
While each Dough location has subtle nuances, Mia, the visionary behind the shop’s fit outs recognised the need for consistency. “I realised we needed to take strong assets from our first sit down café and flow them through to every store in order to build a brand.” Now, Mia has perfected the art of the fit out. With relatively small budgets,
Dough prioritises customer experience, simplicity, and quality. Premium materials are used, and new sites are not structurally tinkered with – the brand embraces the unique features of a space and brings its iconic blue tiles and rose gold accents across to create a consistent experience for customers and to achieve a quality fit out efficiently without compromising on quality.
The strategic vision behind the Dough brand has evolved alongside its growth. From modest beginnings, Tim and Mia now have a production headquarters with a large commercial kitchen. Looking ahead, they’re confident this kitchen could supply 10 to 12 shops. “We call our model the ‘hub and spokes’. The hub is our HQ and the spokes are our outlets that we can serve from our central kitchen. We’re more efficient with the way we’re producing now.”
This is an excerpt from an article featured within Deloitte’s 2024 Fast 50 electronic magazine. To read the full story or learn about other 2024 Fast 50 and Master of Growth winners, click here.