By Deb Silverthorn
The recipe for success begins with great ingredients and, at Maui Foods International, that means the harmony and respect that comes from founder Allan Feinstein and his right hands; daughter Ali, vice president of sales and marketing, and wife Susie who supports sales, special events and marketing.
In business for 34 years, supplying muffin batter and cookie dough by wholesale, Maui Foods is now available at Central Market and Tom Thumb (Parker Road and the Tollway in Plano). In the next month North Texans will be able to enjoy the hometown business’ best bites more readily when Maui Foods expands to the Tom Thumbs at Preston and Forest and Coit and Campbell.
“I’ve always enjoyed the business and now, working with my family and more connected to our community, it’s a dream come true,” said Allan, a native of Toronto, Canada who moved to Dallas in 1984. He first worked in the investment industry, and in his travels, found it difficult to grab delicious and healthy foods. So, he decided to solve the need.
Maui Foods muffins and cookies are sold internationally at hotels, resorts, cruiselines and in retail specialty stores and grocers. Maui’s team of longtime staffers creates 100-plus flavors to tempt any palate. “We’ve recently opened our new facility positioning us for continued growth,” said Feinstein, who with his family, is a member of Chabad of Plano/Collin County.
The product is available gluten-full, and gluten-free, vegan and sugar-free. They’re made without preservatives or chemicals, with only clean ingredients and with many locally sourced fruits and other ingredients
At Maui Foods’ Plano facility, the raw batter in nine-pound tubs (yields 60 large muffins) and raw cookie dough (144 cookies per case) is available for sale to the public. It’s also certified by Dallas Kosher.
“These are my go-to to for my clients. It’s delicious, easy to bake-off, and a homemade treat that’s always enjoyed,” said Laurie Levin, who owns Deep Ellum’s Urban Paws. For the owners of her four-legged customers, Levin bakes and shares Maui Foods International’s cookies. “It’s easy for me to pick up the dough and bake, but I’m excited about dropping into the grocery stores to enjoy a variety at home too.”
The company’s headquarters, and all product as it leaves the facility, is certified under Dallas Kosher. The product, now being baked in-house at local grocers, remains DK-certified only at stores with its representation (by end of March at both DK-supervised Tom Thumb stores).
“Maui Food’s line is terrific. We’ve hoped for a long time to get it in front of our local customers,” said Dallas Kosher Executive Director Meira Naor. “That it can be baked and sold in stores, under DK-supervision, is great news.”
At the Tom Thumb in West Plano, bakery lead Luz Cortez is keeping the recently introduced Maui Foods rack filled. “For us to have the Feinsteins, regular shoppers here for years, owning the company, and hands-on for our team, is exciting. We don’t have any other local family business’s product in the bakery, and they’ve been teaching us how to bake-off the items as they should be. We’ve already refilled the rack many times and it’s delicious.”
For Ali, a graduate of Levine Academy, Yavneh Academy and the University of Maryland, following in her parents’ ‘mixing bowl’ is something to which she’s aspired.
“Every bit of our product is made with heart. I’ve been going to food shows and following my dad to meetings around the world, as his ‘little girl’ and now I’ve realized the dream of becoming a partner,” she said. “My parents instilled in me a strong work ethic and the importance of believing in myself, and in my work. I couldn’t believe in anything more than what my family has built and the future I am now a part of.”
One-hundred-plus flavors, the Feinstein family favorites are now more available to become yours, one bite at a time.