United States Bakery, better known as Franz Family Bakeries, is a bread and pastry manufacturer headquartered in Portland, Oregon, United States. Franz Bakery was founded in 1906. U.S. Bakery also owns the Northwest regional bread brands Williams', Gai's, and Snyder's.
In collaboration with Engelbert Franz of Franz Bakery, W.P. Yaw of Yaw's Top Notch Restaurant invented the diameter hamburger bun in the late 1920s. Though others are credited with creating a bread product to use for the first hamburgers known to the world, Franz is credited for inventing the hamburger bun in its current worldwide accepted form.
United States Bakery has a long history of growth through acquisition.
In 2006, the Williams' factory, which had operated on the same site near the University of Oregon (UO) since 1908, was closed and the site sold to UO, which eventually built its current basketball venue, Matthew Knight Arena at that location. Williams' relocated to a new plant in the Glenwood area of neighboring Springfield. It was the first new bakery the firm had built from the ground up since 1906.
In 2013, United States Bakery paid $28.85 million for Hostess' Sweetheart, Eddy's, Standish Farms, and Grandma Emilie's brands.
In July 2006, Franz baked a hot dog bun long, breaking the Guinness World Record for the World's longest hot dog. The previous record was just over and set in 2005.