Buns?

Does anyone have any contact info for J.J. Nissen? Looking for the top loading hotdog buns. The local contact said they don't carry them.

J. J. Nissen is part of IBC (Interstate Brands/Interstate Bakeries Corporation), so their address and phone number are:

Interstate Brands Corporation
1 Bakers Way
Biddeford, ME 04005
Ph: (207) 286-1200

The e-mail contact is through this page on the IBC website:

http://www.interstatebakeriescorp.com/contactus.asp

Yeah, emailed them from the IBC website. They sent me the number for the local bakery. The local guy said that IBC didn't carry that type of bun (top loader). So I need to find a loaction of IBC that actually carries these buns.

quote:

Originally posted by Raine

Yeah, emailed them from the IBC website. They sent me the number for the local bakery. The local guy said that IBC didn't carry that type of bun (top loader). So I need to find a loaction of IBC that actually carries these buns.

When you say top loader do you mean a new england style bun? If so, why do you want those? I used those for a few weeks and decided it is way too much work and everyone always asked for the other type anyway.

And if you are looking for the split bun, I saw them on a review here a few months ago. My curiosity was struck and had to ask... Here's a link to the replies and some good info on where to find them: http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7294

Yes, that is what I'm looking for, the new england style. One they are different from everyone else's. Local drugstore chain(when they still had food counters) used to serve them. Lots of folks went there just for their hotdogs. Two, I think they will work better with a hotdog(our relish) we plan to serve at our new BBQ joint. How were they more work?

quote:

When you say top loader do you mean a new england style bun? If so, why do you want those? I used those for a few weeks and decided it is way too much work and everyone always asked for the other type anyway.

well what I meant was they were hard to get apart, and when I was busy it took too much time to separate them. Even in New england most of my customers wanted the other type. I will say this though, they are great when they are toasted.

Toasted IS the ONLY way to serve new england style rolls.

yeah, the ones the drugstore used to serve were toasted on the grill.

I ordered New England top split buns yesterday online. I bought 48 rolls. They're $29.95 including priority mail charges. Go to www.mapleandmore.com

That's probably a little expensive, specially for resale.

quote:

Originally posted by CheeseWit

I ordered New England top split buns yesterday online. I bought 48 rolls. They're $29.95 including priority mail charges. Go to www.mapleandmore.com

I'm guessing you'll be freezing them. Let us know how they freeze.

Yes, I will be freezing some. I ordered for personal use - not for resale. I'll use them for hot dogs and for lobster rolls.

quote:

Originally posted by Raine

That's probably a little expensive, specially for resale.

How about very expensive! A twelve pack of S.Rosen/MaryAnn poppy seed buns(used by all Chicago hot dog stands)sells at Sam's Club for $1.64. That's less then 14 cents a bun. Wholesale, they're a bit less. Your split buns cost between 55-75 cents a bun. Are they really worth more then the cost of the hot dog?

quote:

Originally posted by chicagostyledog

quote:

Originally posted by Raine

That's probably a little expensive, specially for resale.

How about very expensive! A twelve pack of S.Rosen/MaryAnn poppy seed buns(used by all Chicago hot dog stands)sells at Sam's Club for $1.64. That's less then 14 cents a bun. Wholesale, they're a bit less. Your split buns cost between 55-75 cents a bun. Are they really worth more then the cost of the hot dog?

I am sure they cost about the same at the bread aisle in Stop & Shop ... clearly there is a premium for mail order buns. And, yes, I'd pay it (and will, if I hear they freeze well.)

Definitely need to find a source with a better price. Can't raise the price of the hotdog $.60 to cover the cost of a bun.

You might be able to find a local bakery to replicate that bun for your business at a reasonable price. Explain your needs and set up an account with a delivery schedule. It's done everyday with small businesses.

To all,

I mentioned this before. I live in Maryland and can get split tops at the local supermarket. They cost 2 bucks for eight and are made by "Pepperidge Farms". They toast up great without the outside becoming hard. You might want to look for them.

BB

Raine,

If you locate the local baker or distributor for Pepperidge Farms products, you'll have your bun source.

Nickles Bakery, headquartered in Navarre, Ohio, is a source for split top buns. Check them out at www.Nicklesbakery.com

We are able to get them in most groceries in the Columbus, Ohio, area, especially Kroger stores.

Donna

Or you can just make your own!

http://tinyurl.com/7wknq

This is a Chicago Metallic hot dog bun pan that makes New England-style buns.

Baking your own buns may be fine at home--but probably not practical for a hot dog stand---then again--i have an old friend that is a local baker who does LOTS of custom breads for local sub shops etc---seems like you may be able to get a local baker to supply you with buns---and ask for exclusivity---my friend had several sub rolls that he made specifically for ONE customer --their recipe--and this is not an uncommen practise. Fresh made buns sound good to me!!---BTW--you really dont need a special pan---there are rollers that will shape the dought and then they are place tightly together to bake after lightly coating the side with veg. oil so they will come apart after baking.

Hotdog Annies in Leicester Mass advertises that they use Sunbeam rolls. I don't know if Sunbeam is part of IBC. At Hotdog Annies, the dogs are grilled to your right as you order, and the split top buns are grilled on another grill to your left (behind the counter). They do too much volume to grill to order. The dogs are grilled and moved in bulk to the assembely/order station where they are stored in sort of a tray. With a 4 person crew, 1 grills dogs, one takes money, one fills orders and the 4th grills the buns. Last time I was there, they had me out in less than 5 min, and there must have been 5 or 6 people in front of me.

BTW Nissen had a plant in Worcester Mass, and in Maine. It was sold to a lady who wanted to keep it independent, and she invested a ton of $$$ updating the Maine plant. She died a few years ago and IBC ended up with the company anyway. A customer of mine worked there (Worcester) for years. It was not the same after all the former competition moved into one "barn". He spent the first 25 years of his career trying to outsell Wonder, and the last few working for them. He is glad to be retired.

Update. I just checked. Sunbeam is part of IBC, so a Sunbeam roll may be a Nissen or Wonder roll in a different package.

Yep, spoke with IBC headquarters, but unless they have a local bakery that carries them sounded as if I'm SOL. And the local rep wasn't very excited about trying to get our business either. Talked about some crazy mininum order every week or they would drop you.

I think Sunbeam is owned by someone else.

quote:

Originally posted by Donna Douglass

Nickles Bakery, headquartered in Navarre, Ohio, is a source for split top buns. Check them out at www.Nicklesbakery.com

We are able to get them in most groceries in the Columbus, Ohio, area, especially Kroger stores.

Donna

Nickles told me they do not distribute outside of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. By the way, there is at least one Nickles outlet store in Columbus. It's on East Main a little west of hamilton.

many of the Connecticut dog places that serve New England style rolls use Freihofer's.

Butter on both sides and toast 'em on the griddle

Here's a link to their site:

http://freihofers.gwbakeries.com/

HMMM....wondering if I could turn it into a business. New england style rolls readily available.. I can get them wholesale for about 15 cents a roll. $2.40/pkg of 16. Could charge $3.00 a pkg plus shipping..would have to look into this.

xfireguy and those of you in New England: I just received my 48 buns. They are J.J. Nissen New England 12 Frankfurt Rolls (upc 27900 00115). Yes, they were expensive. Maybe you COULD go into business and beat Maple and More's pricing! I'd be interested in buying more.
Three packages went into the freezer as per the instructions in the thank you letter included in the shipment. The other package will be refrigerated and used this weekend.