Allan Feinstein graduated from the University of Toronto with an MBA in business all while working in kitchens in the food industry to put himself through school. With all the late nights and busy hours, he developed a business idea to set up coffee shops with gourmet coffees and pastries – way before the coffee chain restaurant buzz.

Lacking funding for his original idea, he pivoted, opening a storefront cafe in the heart of downtown Dallas. The cafe grew to be a fantastic lunch spot for everyone working in the area– selling delicious sandwiches, salads, juices and coffee. One thing, however, stood out on the menu as fan-favorites– our muffins and cookies.

Over time, many executive chefs from the hotels in the area would come in for lunch and raved about our muffins and cookies. The chefs’ asked if they could purchase the batter and dough to serve at their hotels. Seeing this as an opportunity, Allan worked tirelessly to deliver muffin batter and cookie dough, using his own car, to hotels after hours and into the early hours of the morning before the cafe opened.

As demand grew, Allan decided to close the cafe and open a very small startup space to shift his focus to crafting and perfecting muffin batters and cookie doughs. For over 43 years, Maui Foods has grown tremendously, servicing a wide variety of industries while staying true to the family-owned feel.