French Gourmet, ShellsByDesign merge

Commercial pastry bakery French Gourmet Inc. has merged with Shells By Design LLC, a maker of frozen tart shells and desserts doing business as ShellsByDesign.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. French Gourmet is a portfolio company of West Des Moines, Iowa-based private equity firm Midwest Growth Partners, which announced the transaction on Sept. 5.

Sparks, Nev.-based French Gourmet manufactures a range of artisanal croissants, danishes, dough shells and puff pastries with laminated dough in frozen and pre-proofed formats, as well as pastry fillings. The company supplies hotels, cafes, independent bakeries, diners, grocery store bakeries and other foodservice customers.

“With the addition of complementary, premium product offerings and an expanded geographical reach, French Gourmet is positioned to deliver even greater value to existing customers of both companies,” said Don Smith, chief executive officer of French Gourmet. “We are excited to work with this experienced and dedicated Iowa team (at ShellsByDesign), who shares our commitment to premium-quality products and high-level customer service.”

ShellsByDesign produces sweet and savory frozen tart shells (including chocolate and graham varieties), gluten-free frozen tart shells, and ready-to-eat frozen dessert tarts and breakfast tarts from a 30,000-square-foot production plant in Garner, Iowa. Plans call for ShellsByDesign co-founder David Lichtenstein to continue to serve as director of operations at the Iowa facility.

“French Gourmet’s extensive product offerings and market reach will enable us to execute on the vision I’ve had for our company since co-founding the (ShellsByDesign) business 15 years ago,” Lichtenstein said. “We look forward to joining forces with the French Gourmet team to support our combined customers’ success with enhanced premium product offerings.”

Midwest Growth Partners acquired a stake in French Gourmet, founded in 1984 by French chef Patrick Novak, in May 2023. The private equity fund said it specializes in growth capital investments across the food and agriculture value chain.

 “The merger of French Gourmet and ShellsbyDesign creates an impressive synergy of product lines and manufacturing capabilities,” said Zane Hendricks, vice president of Midwest Growth Partners. “I’ve enjoyed working with the management teams of both companies and am excited to support continued growth and innovation.”