Bread Shop Turns 5 YEARS OLD!

When we opened five years ago, we launched with the expectation that our customers would grab their bread and be on their way. The initial business model was almost an experiment: could we pull off only selling a few kinds of bread that Jacob was excited about making, and leave all the complexities that come with owning a restaurant out of the picture? We wanted to be a pitstop before people headed home to cook dinner or to a friend’s for a party - a quick errand, not a destination.

The space’s footprint was postage-stamp small and mostly occupied by baking equipment. We barely had enough room for customers to wait in line (and to be honest, we never imagined we’d be busy enough for one to form). Jacob did all the baking, and his brother Zac and I would jump in each morning before we opened to lend a hand at the register.

We operated this way for about six weeks, in that tired but thrilling fog that takes over when you’re starting a business. Just as we were getting the hang of things, we abruptly pivoted to an online order model with a pick-up window, the only solution we saw to weather the pandemic. We put thoughts of the future of the business on the back burner, telling ourselves, “We’ll plan what comes next when this is over.”

Despite the amorphous nature of the pandemic, the zen-like repetition of baking bread, mixing dough, and packing orders, paired with the conviviality of our customers, made our little pick-up window feel like a haven. After a few years, it became clear, through lingering conversations at the window and the addition of bistro tables out front, that maybe people wanted to hang out, too.

While giving people a place to gather was a top priority when building out our current location, we could have never anticipated the warmth and community that you have brought to our space. Every day, whether people pass through to quickly grab a loaf or linger at a table, there is palpable goodwill in the air. Thank you for bringing your joy into the shop day in and day out. It’s not lost on us that, while we provide the bread and the setting, you make it come to life.

Things change as you get older, and we now have more of an appetite for dreaming, scheming, and building. But we always hope to be here for you - as a reprieve from the world or a place to be a part of it, depending on what you’re seeking.

And now, back to business: while birthday cake would be the expected celebratory treat, bread is more our thing. So, this Saturday, we’ll be baking an oven load of pretzel buns, served with scallion cream cheese, to mark the festive occasion and give you an excuse to hang out with us. Also landing in the shop this week: almond apple blondies and piñon shortbread cookies.