# Tate's Bake Shop: Kathleen King

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2019-12-16
- Length: 59m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-12-16-tates-bake-shop-kathleen-king

## Summary

Kathleen King, founder of Tate's Bake Shop, recounts her journey from selling cookies at a family farm stand to building a brand sold for $500 million. She details the disastrous partnership with the Weber brothers that led to the loss of her original company, Kathleen's Bake Shop, and the subsequent legal battles. King explains how she rebuilt her business from scratch, focusing on product quality and strategic distribution, ultimately achieving a successful exit. The episode also briefly covers Thomas Althaus, who founded Canned Goods, a jewelry company made from recycled tin cans.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-12-16-tates-bake-shop-kathleen-king#t=0) Introduction: Kathleen King and the Farm Stand Origins
- [4:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-12-16-tates-bake-shop-kathleen-king#t=242) Building Kathleen's Bake Shop and Early Growth
- [24:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-12-16-tates-bake-shop-kathleen-king#t=1468) The Disastrous Partnership with the Weber Brothers
- [32:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-12-16-tates-bake-shop-kathleen-king#t=1948) Lawsuits, Debt, and Losing the Original Brand
- [38:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-12-16-tates-bake-shop-kathleen-king#t=2291) Rebuilding from Scratch: Launching Tate's Bake Shop
- [43:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-12-16-tates-bake-shop-kathleen-king#t=2628) Scaling Distribution and Achieving Brand Recognition
- [47:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-12-16-tates-bake-shop-kathleen-king#t=2875) The Exit: Selling to Riverside and Mondelez
- [56:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-12-16-tates-bake-shop-kathleen-king#t=3405) Post-Script: Thomas Althaus and Canned Goods

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up, large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Tate's Bake Shop (product)
- Kathleen's Bake Shop (product)
- Mondelēz (company)
- Riverside (company)
- TM Capital (company)
- Canned Goods (product)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Consumer Reports (company)
- Rachel Ray (other)
- Gwyneth Paltrow (other)

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## Citing this page

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