As that vintage commercial goes, “Everybody doesn’t like something, but nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.” Although that jingly catchphrase is nothing short of grammatically horrific, it sure stuck in the consciousness of many an individual who weathered the 1970s in America. In fact, when I saw my wife earlier this afternoon upon my return from the newly unveiled Kitchens of Sara Lee “ribbon cutting,” she—a fellow child of the ’70s with the Shawn Cassidy LPs to prove it—immediately began singing the jingle.

Photo: Sara Lee Corp.

And, in fact, I would bet that most folks in food would be able to say that nobody doesn’t like the new Kitchens of Sara Lee. The place is an absolute slice of R&D heaven. State-of-the-are labs, a culinary center, pilot plants and more (including a beauty of a three-stage tunnel oven in the bakery pilot plant) combine to give the company’s food scientists and chefs (who frequently combine the two disciplines, ala Culinology®) everything they need in-house to effectively prepare for full-scale manufacturing runs. Of particular interest were the capabilities they built into the facility to speed time to market and eliminate the need for out-of-house functions.

I even had the pleasure of meeting the actual Sara Lee! The new facility is dedicated to her late father, Charles Lubin, who had named his prized cheesecake after his daughter. The new center is named after Lubin’s company (which he sold to Consolidated Foods in the 1950s; Consolidated eventually renamed itself after its top-selling brand and became the Sara Lee Corporation).

This morning I also had the pleasure of adding three deliciously combined words to my vocabulary: Caramel Pecan Cheesecake. After seeing one of these rich beauties made before my salivating eyes, I must find a slice at the first possible opportunity. (The cheesecake is part of Sara Lee’s Bistro line and is finished by hand, even—amazingly—in the plant.)

Sure, everybody doesn’t like something, but I bet that isn’t it for pretty much everybody.