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DENVER -- Our Colorado has given the world Chipotle, Qdoba, and Einstein Brothers. But there's another culinary staple that's been made in the Mile High City for generations. It's one that you've likely had hundreds of times.
"Our company is close to 100 years old,” said Tony Taddonio, the CEO of Mile Hi Foods in Denver.
Mile Hi Foods Co. is a local, fourth generation, family-owned and operated company. Founded in 1946, today, Mile Hi Foods (formerly known as Mile Frozen Foods) distributes all food- and paper-related products to several hundred McDonald’s restaurants in Colorado and eight surrounding states.
"People are completely floored. They have no idea that the bakery for McDonald’s is literally in their backyard,” said Kristy Taddonio Mullins, the president of Mile Hi Foods.
Inside the Mile Hi Foods Bakery, flour is just the beginning to the entire production process.
“It’s milled right here in Colorado and it’s shipped right here into our bakery,” said Toni Taddonio Brenzikofer, the vice president of Mile Hi Foods.
Today, Mile Hi Foods employs 400 people who each day are cranking out a whole lot of bread.
“We will cut them (dough balls) at a rate of 135 cuts a minute, eight pockets across,” said Nelson Stinson, Plant Manager of Mile Hi Foods. “5,300 dozen an hour. That’s about 1.5 million rolls a day.”
For the McDonald's customers in Colorado, the journey from factory to restaurant can happen in a day’s time.
“A roll that is baked today could be consumed at a McDonald's within 24 hours,” said Stinson.