Our Founders \ Carsten Kruse
President
When it came to choosing his vocation in life, Carsten really had no choice: he knew he was going to be a baker. He literally grew up while working in his father's bakery in Hamburg Germany—his first job there was fetching butter from the cooler warehouse and delivering it to his father in the bakery, via trusty go-kart. That was at age 4. He loved the work.
There are other fond memories. In addition to the big bakery, his family ran an adjoining café that was situated next to a wildlife park. On the weekends, Carsten's two sisters worked in the café, and he worked in the bakery. Surrounded by the amazing smells and beautiful sights of fresh-baked breads and rolls, with views of pristine nature just outside the window—it's hard to imagine a nicer way to spend a childhood.
Formal education and training followed these early experiences, including three years as a baker's apprentice, five years as a journeyman baker and, finally, earning his Master Baker's degree in Hanover, Germany. In 1984, Carsten came to the US as a baker's trainer and was soon after hired by Whole Foods Market to run the company's Dallas bakehouse. This is where he met his future partner, George Eckrich. Aside from their shared love of baking, George and Carsten also share a passion for creating, innovating, and working with new and different ideas. Which is why Dr. Kracker is the perfect venture for Carsten, and why he loves this job almost as much as delivering butter by go-kart.
Carsten lives in Dallas with his wife and two daughters, ages 8 and 2. His favorite cracker is the Klassic 3 Seed, which he enjoys with butter, a good salami, and beer, of course!
