Craft to Crumb mini-mag | May Q2 2026 | Country Bird Bakery

COUNTRY BIRD BAKERY

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Joanie Spencer Vice President 913.777.8874

CRAFT TO CRUMB

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Mari Rydings Senior Editorial Director mari@avantfoodmedia.com

Jordan Winter Creative Director jordan@avantfoodmedia.com

Olivia Siddall Multimedia Director olivia@avantfoodmedia.com

Annie Hollon Digital Editor annie@avantfoodmedia.com

Maddie Lambert Associate Editor maddie@avantfoodmedia.com

Lily Cota Associate Editor lily@avantfoodmedia.com

Cindy Arora | Kimberly Houston Contributors info@crafttocrumb.com

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Craft to Crumb is published by Avant Food Media, 1703 Wyandotte St., Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64108. Craft to Crumb considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur. Consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Craft to Crumb is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not liable for errors and omissions. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Avant Food Media nor any of its employees accept any responsibility for their activities. The Craft to Crumb mini-mag is produced in the USA and all rights are reserved.

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A Note From The Editor

SOLVING THE PUZZLE

JOANIE SPENCER

Editor-in-Chief

joanie@avantfoodmedia.com

It’s hard out there for a baker. While a host of challenges from nutrition to tariffs impact the industry on various levels, workforce shortages pinch retail bakers especially hard.

I recently saw a presentation from Kimberly Houston, a podcaster, member experience director at the Retail Bakers of America (RBA), founder of Teach Me How to Bake, and regular Craft to Crumb contributor. She noted that turnover in the foodservice industry overall is around 94%, and for certain areas of the bakery sector, it’s even higher.

While the current workforce is aging out, the next generation has entirely different expectations and beliefs around work and life. It’s not that one is necessarily better or worse than the other, but we’ve yet to find common ground, and that’s a major contributor to the shortage.

Solving for labor is not a one-size-fits-all, and it’s not always about a head-to-head people replacement. There are so many ways to do it, but you have to be creative, strategic and willing to stand up for your bakery’s vision.

Country Bird Bakery, this issue’s featured bakery, is a great example. With unconventional store hours, the bakery not only enhances efficiency while driving demand, it also focuses on tapping into the curiosity and eagerness of its small staff for truly inspirational innovation.

Filling the workforce gap doesn’t have to be as strict as a 1:1 replacement in a recipe. The solution starts in your bakery, based on your culture, products and customer base. And we’re here to help, not only in this issue, but also every day at Craft to Crumb .

The award-winning ERGO mixer series offers solutions not found anywhere else. Automated recipe programming provides unparalleled efficiency and consistency and the stainless steel, rust-proof body is up to IP54 rated waterproof, safe to hose down. These unique, powerful features and many more are backed by a 4-year parts and labor warranty.

HOT TAKES

NUTS FOR COCONUT

Coconut is no longer just a tropical flavor. Outside of sunny summer days, bakers are finding new applications for the ingredient, adding it to croissants and tarts for a subtle flavor.

SMALL SEED, MAJOR IMPACT

From pies to cookies, bakers are using black sesame as a base flavor or garnish to add a touch of nutty flavor to sweet and savory baked goods.

A SIP OF SOMETHING NEW

Following the success of matcha, bakers are leaning further into the popularity of tea varieties, creating fusion foods such as cinnamon rolls with Earl Grey glaze and jasmine green tea cakes.

LONG LIVE THE KOUIGN-AMANN

Whether served with the classic crown on top or filled with pastry creams, the complex yet decadent laminated pastry is the crown jewel of various bakery cases.

Craft to Crumb

Seasonal Spotlight | Off-Season Strategies

BEATING THE SUMMER SLUMP

Stepping into the season with menu changes and events can drive business.

BY CINDY ARORA

While summer screams for ice cream, for retail bakeries, it’s often the season of slower foot traffic and a dip in sales as the temperatures rise.

So, what can a retail bakery do to boost foot traffic and revenue during summer’s hottest months?

Pivot.

While rich pastries may not be the most popular items during Q3, dessert is never off the menu. Instead, creating menu items that reflect what the season offers — farmers market produce, outdoor opportunities with the community and cold creations — can capture summer, and sales, by the spoonful.

Bakers know dessert never has a slow season, just a different one.

“People always want a muffin,” said Karen Bornarth, executive director of The Bread Bakers Guild of America. “But in the summer, it’s about adding more color and adding more fruits instead of creams. It’s about mixing it up and incorporating summer freshness into the pastry case.”

At Lodge Bread Co. in Los Angeles, Or Amsalam, a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist, is busy overseeing three bakery locations, while preparing to open a fourth this summer. This kind of growth makes creating a seasonal menu more challenging, but not impossible.

“Summer is usually slower for us because we aren’t a tourist destination; we are a local breakfast, lunch and bakery spot,” he said. “That makes it more complicated

to change our menus because customers want consistency. Any menu changes we make, we have to make across all our stores.”

Still, Or leans into seasonal ingredients to keep offerings fresh.

“When summer comes, we focus on our pastries and jams, changing the flavors seasonally,” he explained. “We’re making Meyer lemon and vanilla jams, Alfonso mango tarts, and a roasted peach Danish. We’ve even made ice cream sandwiches, which people really enjoyed.”

Thinking outside the bread box is another off-season strategy. At Red Hen Baking Co. in Middlesex, VT, summer means the arrival of creemee season. This Vermont specialty features frozen yogurt served in a homemade whole wheat waffle cone. For locals, it’s

the white flag that signals summer has arrived.

“We make our own waffle cones with wheat from Vermont,” said Jorah McKinley, sales and marketing manager for Red Hen Baking.

“We mill the wheat in our own stoneware, and our frozen yogurt is made from a local dairy. We’re a baking company, so we really wanted to make these special, and we are passionate about local agriculture, so we combined the two.”

Creemee flavors reflect the season, what’s growing in the fields, and what Red Hen can source from the neighborhood: Lemon Blackberry, Backyard Mint from friends and families’ gardens, Mad River Maple, Lemon Basil Pink Peppercorn, and Chocolate Hazelnut.

“Our flavors are as local as we can get them,” Jorah said.

Leaning into the South’s summer culture is Rise Bakery’s seasonal

strategy. For this Greenville, SC, bakery, this means tomato sandwiches, homemade hamburger buns, and being a part of the community during the sweltering summer nights.

“Tomatoes are a really big deal for us; we do a few weeks of Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer, and we have a special tomato sandwich menu,” said Julian Loue, founder and owner of Rise Bakery. “This is a really fun event for us, and our customers, because a tomato sandwich is a Southern summer.”

Along with tomato sandwiches, Julian and his crew of 20 also create an in-house hamburger bun that they only sell between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. This season, they launched Roman-style pizza nights that started in April and run until September. The event creates a summer-only demand — and seasonal tradition — for the bakery’s customers.

“There is fun to be had in the summer,” Julian said. “We’ve done the data, and in the summer, things can get quieter. There are definitely a couple of months in the year when it’s pretty dang hot. We just plan for it.”

While the summer slump can present challenges for retail bakeries, turning to seasonal ingredients, connecting with the community and having a little fun with menus can help keep things fresh and foot traffic flowing.

Craft to Crumb

TOP OF THE ROOST

Country Bird Bakery’s walls are far from a cage.

BY LILY COTA

From branch to branch, corn stalk to wheat sprig, the essence of a country bird is undeniably free, unperturbed.

Befittingly, Country Bird Bakery, a small-in-size but big-in-heart scratch bakery in Tulsa, OK, carries that same spirit, combining lofty ideas with thoughtful execution.

With a name inspired by rural Oklahoma (and a little attic bird with a lot to chirp about), Country Bird’s philosophy is simple: intention above everything. Small batches, limited hours and community alignment define this bakery.

It operates with a deliberately unconventional model, open on Saturdays — and, only recently, Thursdays — for pickup orders that customers place online during the

week, as well as wholesale deals for retail spots scattered across the community.

This tailor-made schedule provides a reprieve for the small team of bakers, led by Cat Cox, owner and 2025 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. Between mixing, shaping, baking and ringing up customers, the Country Bird bakers have their hands full every day of the week.

“I remember thinking, ‘Okay, once we get used to this, we’ll be able to add some more hours,’” Cat said. “And that never really happened … but definitely not due to a lack of business. The opposite, actually. We didn’t want to get in too far over our heads, so we added Thursdays to meet in the middle.”

Craft to Crumb Country Bird Bakery

Long lines and limited stock are accepted trade-offs to keep quality, freshness and waste reduction at the forefront. With a rotating menu of innovative creations, customers don’t see these as faults, but rather special features.

Those features are a central part of the Country Bird appeal, creating a ritual for regulars who fully lean into it, following along on Instagram and signing up for email updates on the newest products.

“Social media is how we usually get the word out about any schedule changes or product swaps, and that seems to do the trick for now,” Cat said. “Our email list is pretty healthy, too. It’s mostly been word of mouth.”

The reduced schedule not only creates a unique operational model that attracts new and returning customers, but its staggering nature also keeps waste at bay.

“It’s what works best for the team’s schedule, but it also really helps us reduce waste,” Cat said. “And the waste we do have, we either try to repurpose into something else, or we donate it, compost it, find any way to reuse it.”

Keeping waste to a minimum is a priority for many reasons, but a lack of storage is certainly one of them. With only 1,000 square feet of production space, every inch counts. The tight-cornered kitchen serves as a launching pad to propel the bakery to new heights, with Cat

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leading the way through clouds of local, stone-milled flour (something she had trouble getting her hands on, even in the wheat belt).

“I ended up buying a small tabletop mill, and I found a farmer who was growing organic hard red winter wheat,” Cat recalled. “That was like my gateway drug.”

With customers lining up an hour before opening every Thursday and Saturday morning, it’s critical to use the rest of the week wisely, designating different days for distinct tasks. Monday is wholesale dough mixing, Tuesday and Wednesday are dedicated to lamination, and so on. Freshness is a priority, and with low storage space, the bakery had to find the right groove to fit all the pieces together.

“What I once thought might be too much space now feels tiny,” Cat said. “We’re tripping over each

Cat Cox discusses how relationships with local farmers shape the bakery’s menu.

other most days, but we’ve grown organically, been able to purchase more equipment, and gotten busier and busier.”

Country Bird doesn’t let physical limitations clip its wings. With a newly purchased RONDO dough sheeter, plans for a deck oven loader and a signed lease on the space next door, expanded production is on the horizon. A walk-in freezer to store the bakery’s abundance of fresh, local produce is next on the list.

Aside from its unconventional schedule, Country Bird is characterized by its naturally leavened breads, seasonal pastries and twice-baked croissants, all made with locally grown ingredients. It was Cat’s initial experimentation with fortified sourdoughs — incorporating local flour, vegetables, fruits and buttermilk — that led to the hearty bill of fare the bakery is known for today.

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Caitlin Woods mixes baguette dough for the bakery’s retail distribution.

“Our menu is guided by what our farmers are growing, so it changes every week based on what is available to us,” she said. “There are a few anchors we keep around, but everything else shifts with the seasons. We’re trying to tell the story of the farmers woven throughout our menu; they’re an integral part of what we do.”

As the bakers maneuver the kitchen, lists of potential inclusions, flavors and ingredients line the refrigerators and tables around them. Product development is inspired by daily life, ingredient availability and baker creativity.

Peanut and Pandan Pastry Cream Cruffins, Blueberry Sonoran Scones, Bourbon Caramel Apple Jam Kouign-Amanns and Cherry Sudachi Twists are just a few of the imaginative creations made by Country Bird’s bakers.

“We take inspiration from everywhere,” Cat said. “A lot of things I’ve incorporated around here are things I figured out while working as a pastry chef. I learned about the different things you can do in the kitchen, like steeping cream with different herbs or fruits to add flavor, and that opened up a whole new world of possibilities.”

Cat passes on this inspiration to her team members, whose curiosity and eagerness to learn drive everyday innovation. By using the same base dough, the bakery maintains quality while experimenting with its menu, adding outside-the-box flavor combos and in-season mashups each week.

Take the bakery’s Peanut Chile Crisp Croissant Snail, for example. Featuring local peanuts from Snider Farms, this creation was dubbed a brainchild of baker Caitlin Woods, who values the creative freedom of working with seasonal ingredients combined with local heritage.

“Even our wheat is grown and milled here in Oklahoma,” Caitlin said. “It’s really cool that we get to use local ingredients, not only with inclusions but also when it comes to the wheat itself.”

The team’s fervor for trying new things is a testament to the core belief that the right customers will make their way in their own time, and when they do, they’ll stick around.

“It’s always been about what we want to make,” Cat said. “I’ve seen places start a poll

“I trust that we’re going to bake what we want to bake, and our customers will find us.”

Cat Cox | owner | Country Bird Bakery

online, ‘What do you guys want to see?’ That’s not how I want to operate. I trust that we’re going to bake what we want to bake, and our customers will find us.”

The synchronicity between the bakers isn’t obtained through luck. Strategic hiring practices help grow the bakery’s capabilities, one set of hands at a time. There’s the first hire, Abby Burton, whose lamination skills have been the foundation for all the bakery’s croissant creations, and Courtney Schwamb, whose expertise (and patience) with spreadsheets has streamlined inventory and product development.

On the production floor, Caitlin and the rest of the team carry the physical load of mixing, laminating and baking, combining their expertise to keep things running and allow for expansion in other parts of the business.

Along with Thursday/Saturday sales, the bakery also supplies retailers with artisan baguettes and offers monthly workshops, hosting up to 15 people at a time.

Craft to Crumb Country Bird Bakery

“I’ve taught more than 1,000 people to make sourdough bread,” Cat said. “I want people to get the whole experience, no matter what they know already, because I’m a hands-on, visual learner. And it’s fun.”

Like the bakery’s menu, workshop classes are also inspired by seasonal applicability, with new flavors and formats each month to keep things fresh.

“When it’s cold out, people want to be baking bread at home,” Cat said. “Pizza is more of a warm-weather thing, and we encourage people to use in-season garden produce on their pizzas.”

Following her James Beard Award win, Cat says new product development has been placed on the proverbial back burner. For now, the bakery staff is keeping

an eye on maintaining the purpose behind it all, which was originally to plant roots in a place worth sharing, one reminiscent of family, authenticity and hard work.

It’s the intention behind Country Bird, its airy spirit and fearless invention, that keeps customers coming back. They happily return week after week, waiting in line in the freezing winter cold and scorching summer heat, just to get a taste of home in the form of expertly crafted loaves and pastries.

“To truly integrate a business into a community, you have to have a story and make it personal,” Cat said. “Country Bird is personal to me, but also to Oklahoma as a whole. People are invested in our story because they’re part of it. They carry it with them wherever they go.”

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Country Bird Bakery tells the story of Oklahoma farmers by combining local ingredients, classic technique and eclectic innovation. Check out the signature baked goods that anchor its rotating menu.

Craft to Crumb Baker Profile | Cat Cox

READY FOR TAKEOFF

Cat Cox’s artisan empire is built on inspiration and intentionality.

BY MADDIE LAMBERT

It’s easy to get caught up in the magic of baking. Everyone remembers the Disney scenes where a cartoon character floats toward the squiggly heat lines wafting off the pie that’s perched perfectly on the windowsill. The baker with birds flying around her, her apron undirtied, not a hair out of place.

But bakers themselves know the real magic comes from the hands-on labor, the dirty baker’s whites, the hair haphazardly thrown into a hairnet. The daily grind makes up the true essence of the craft.

No one knows this more than lifelong baker Cat Cox, owner of Country Bird Bakery in Tulsa, OK, who rises before the sun to pour every ounce of effort she has into her work. From her childhood — where she spent her time flipping the pages of her mother’s Betty Crocker cookbook and cracking nuts for her grandmother’s pecan pie — to her adult years experimenting in various kitchens, Cat’s love of baking has evolved with her.

The road to becoming a bakery owner had a few pivotal pit stops across the country, including teaching sourdough workshops at Mother Road Market food hall in Tulsa, OK, learning about ingredient sourcing at stone-milledflour supplier Carolina Ground in Hendersonville, NC, and even working as a part-time wedding cake maker in Marfa, TX.

Cat Cox shares how a James Beard nod affected the business.

However, working at Living Kitchen Farm and Dairy in Depew, OK, with a frequently changing menu, was where Cat honed her technique.

“Every two weeks, I was trying to figure out new plated desserts,” Cat recalled. “I was teaching myself by reading books and watching YouTube videos. But I found the most inspiration from what local produce was available, and then I wondered, ‘How can I turn that into a dessert?’”

Cat uses every piece of her prior experience to shape the Country Bird menu, crafting sweet and savory dishes that excite her customers.

“I will always draw inspiration from nature,” Cat said. “My knowledge of the produce that’s available at different times throughout the year has helped me create [baked goods] centered on what’s in season. Knowing that ‘what grows together goes together’ helps me approach menu development from a flavor-balancing angle.”

Cat’s unconventional flavor pairings (think cardamom lemon and hot honey ricotta mushroom) earned her the title of Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker at the 2025 James Beard Awards. The achievement transformed her bakery from a small-batch operation into a nationally proclaimed institution central to the Tulsa food scene.

While validating for the seasoned baker, the recognition was not without its complications.

“I’ve always struggled a bit with imposter syndrome,” Cat said. “I opened Country Bird without having worked in a real bakery before. I struggled with feeling that one day, everyone’s going to find out I don’t know what I’m doing. After the James Beard nod, we saw a huge spike in customers — the line on a normal Saturday went from 45 minutes to two hours — and now, people have an expectation. That can be challenging to manage because at the end of the day, we’re just humans.”

But it’s that human touch that allows Cat to consistently serve the slew of customers still wiping sleep from their eyes as they wait for her to flip the “Closed” sign over in the mornings. The hard work and frequent 12-hour days define Cat’s success.

“Baking isn’t how it’s depicted in the movies,” Cat said. “It’s not like Sleeping Beauty, where everything magically gets done … It’s so much labor. You have to physically work very hard and put in long hours. There are no days off.”

It’s not the chaos in the kitchen or the long wait times that the customers remember; it’s the baked goods they eat and share with loved ones. So, with a James Beard Award in her pocket and the road ahead hers for the taking, Cat is spreading Country Bird’s wings and getting ready for takeoff.

Craft to Crumb Business Insight | Internships

THE INTERN INVESTMENT

Planning, structure, training and time create a meaningful experience.

BY CHEF KIMBERLY HOUSTON

For many retail bakeries, bringing on an intern seems like a natural step: extra support during busy seasons, a chance to give back and an opportunity to connect with the next generation of bakers.

But in practice, internships don’t always unfold as expected. While internships are often positioned as a mutually beneficial arrangement, the reality of working in a bakery is more nuanced. Interns require time, structure and intention, resources that are often already stretched thin. For bakery owners, the question isn’t simply whether to bring on interns. It also means understanding what it takes to make an internship program work.

One challenge bakery owners encounter early on is the gap between what interns have learned and what production actually requires. It reflects the difference between educational environments and production realities, where efficiency, consistency and cost awareness matter at every step.

“They aren’t taught how to scrape a mixing kettle or scrape down a bucket,” said Jory

Downer, owner of Bennison’s Bakery in Evanston, IL. “They don’t have much appreciation for waste.”

Interns often need to be trained not just in technique but also in workflow, pace and the habits that keep a bakery running smoothly. Without that foundation, even simple tasks can take longer than expected, shifting the dynamic from support to supervision. At Bennison’s, interns are exposed to a variety of tasks, giving them a more accurate view of bakery operations.

Building a structure that supports everyone is another key piece of a successful program. At COOKIE ... take a bite! in Santa Rosa, CA, founder Tracy Mattson views internships as an extension of her role in the community.

“I wanted to use my business to make a difference,” she explained. “When I was approached to take on interns, I jumped at the chance.”

That decision quickly revealed an operational need: structure. Early on, interns struggled with prioritization and time management.

In response, Tracy developed a daily task system outlining workflow, timing and expectations. Interns begin by shadowing, then transition to more independent work as they gain confidence.

Tracy also incorporates conversations about time, cost and responsibility into daily work so interns understand how their roles connect to pricing and profitability: lessons that extend beyond the kitchen.

What began as a tool for interns ultimately strengthened the entire operation.

“Creating these systems made us better managers,” Tracy said. “It taught us how to communicate more clearly.”

For many bakery owners, the true value of internships isn’t immediately visible. Amy Emberling, owner of Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, MI, sees a clear distinction between short-term support and

While the initial time investment in interns is significant, the opportunity to develop future leaders can outweigh those early challenges.

long-term impact. While the initial time investment is significant, the opportunity to develop future leaders can outweigh early challenges. At Zingerman’s, former interns now lead the pastry kitchen and bread bakery.

“For us, they become an investment if they return,” Amy said.

Timing also matters; bringing on interns during high-demand periods allows them to support workflows without displacing permanent staff.

Interns are not a solution for immediate labor gaps. They require onboarding, oversight and consistent feedback. They also need to understand expectations around reliability, communication and accountability, soft skills that can are useful in any professioal setting. Clearly defining those expectations can transform internships into a significant component of not only business operations but also workforce development.

In that respect, internships sit at the intersection of operations and opportunity. They require bakery owners to balance production needs with teaching, structure with flexibility, and short-term demands with long-term vision. When approached with intention, internships can strengthen teams, build future talent and deepen a bakery’s role within its community. And they often reveal something just as valuable: a clearer picture of how the business itself can improve.

Chef Kimberly Houston is a pastry chef, educator and business strategist who helps artisan bakers and creative entrepreneurs build profitable, resilient and aligned businesses. She is the founder of Houston Collective and the creator behind Teach Me How to Bake and Kitchen Table Dreams . Kimberly also serves as the events and engagement manager for the Retail Bakers of America and hosts the organization’s The Perfect Rise podcast. Contact her at kimberlyihouston.com .

Craft to Crumb

Design Tech | Cookie Painting

A BRUSHSTROKE OF GENIUS

Personalized desserts are all the rage right now, and hand-painted cookies are right in the middle of the action. Whether simple or intricate in design, these edible paint palettes offer a premium treat with a homemade feel. From corporate event catering to wedding party platters, painted cookies are a winning choice with customers.

Craft to Crumb partnered with Michelle Curran of Mitchies Munchies to demonstrate how to use food-grade charcoal and impression stamps to create custom cookies that celebrate every occasion.

Materials needed: Food-safe active ­charcoal, water cup, fine detail paint brush(es), impression letters/ numbers, royal icing or fondant

01.

Start with a baked cookie covered with royal icing or fondant.

Paint the charcoal directly onto the impression letters. Lightly stamp to transfer. Repeat the process with impression pieces, as needed. 03.

Make a small circle where the lines intersect. Add a single line under the circle, then color it in. Use single swipe motions to create tassel strands. 05.

02.

Activate the charcoal with a small amount of water to create a thin paste. Pro tip: The consistency should be similar to mustard.

04.

Dilute the charcoal paste with water to achieve a watercolor consistency. Use a single swipe motion to create an incomplete figure eight for the graduation tassel.

Feeling brave? Freehand a small mortar board by making an elongated diamond shape with a sideways number three underneath. 06.

Kristen Boschetto, own Boston Baking, shares of baking experience c bakery straight to the f

Tune in on Apple or Sp the QR code to listen n

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ON THE RISE ARTISAN BREADS

INTENTIONAL EXPANSION

BY ANNIE HOLLON

Since On the Rise Artisan Breads first opened its doors in 2001, the Cleveland Heights, OH, bakery has made quite an impact. Beginning as a mom-and-pop operation with fewer than a dozen employees, the business today boasts two locations, a significant wholesale business and more than 30 team members.

Scaling up is not a one-size-fits-all business maneuver. For On the Rise, finding the right growth path was a matter of circumstance and unexpected opportunities.

The business was founded by Adam and Jennifer Gidlow. Adam spent years working as an artisan baker in Chicago and Boston, making him no stranger to the grind required to run a bakery. Eventually, he built something of his own.

Craft to Crumb To Build A Bakery SPONSORED BY KING ARTHUR BAKING CO.

To Build a Bakery features growth stories from bakeries of all scales. Explore the series at crafttocrumb.com/TBAB.

Craft to Crumb

To Build A Bakery

At the time, Cleveland Heights only had a couple of artisan-style bakeries, making On the Rise a welcome addition with its breads and pastries. The bakery gained traction not only with customers but also with local restaurants, which opened the door to wholesale accounts. It was through this decision that Brian Evans, a graduate of the International Culinary Arts and Science Institute, entered the picture.

Brian joined the bakery part-time in 2010, moving into a full-time role a few months later. A year and a half into his tenure, he saw an opportunity to attract more customers by introducing a lunch menu.

“We decided to market test with a little pop-up one weekend a month,” Brian explained. “Three months in, that turned into doing it every weekend because people loved it. About eight months in, we decided to do it every day.”

Following the program’s success, On the Rise was presented with

another growth opportunity … this time in terms of square footage. When a chance to expand into the neighboring retail space arose spring 2015, the business was in the right place to do so. A little over a year later, the bakery unveiled its remodel, complete with an expanded retail area and larger back-of-house space.

For years, customers inquired about a second location, but On the Rise leadership wanted to expand in a sustainable fashion. While considering other growth avenues, the bakery was offered — and accepted — a spot in a soon-to-becompleted food hall.

On the Rise adopted a hub-andspoke model when the food hall opened in 2018, expanding its reach and maintaining product quality and consistency.

As the bakery grew, Brian moved up the leadership ladder to serve as managing partner. He also expressed interest in taking further accountability for On the Rise.

Given Brian’s years of experience with the business and restaurant background, Adam knew he was the optimal choice to take the reins. Once the pandemic passed, the duo formulated a transition plan. Brian purchased 80% of the bakery at the start of 2025, officially making him majority owner.

In finding sustainable, effective growth avenues, On the Rise established and continued building on a solid business model through its first 25 years. While the key stakeholder has changed and the bakery eyes what the future might bring, the commitment to customer experience has remained the same.

“We’re always going to be in the bake shop, shaping bread by hand,” Brian concluded. “To have the highest quality bread, you’ve got to have your hands in the dough. I’m hoping we can have 25 more years of standing at the table making baguettes and sourdough and having people willing to come in and buy our bread.”

WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT ON THE RISE?

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TECHTALKS

BAKERS DOING GOOD

BLACK SHEEP CAKES

Never underestimate the power of cake. This is a token of knowledge that Mike Elder, founder of Black Sheep Cakes in Wellington, MO, takes very seriously.

As a “Sugar Angel” for Icing Smiles, a non-profit dedicated to providing celebration cakes and treats to families with children facing critical illnesses, Mike has created 32 custom cakes. But for Black Sheep Cakes, it’s about more than just baking a sweet treat.

“We don’t often get a chance to do things that ripple through time,” Mike said. “[Working with] Icing Smiles, I’ve gotten to be a part of some of the best days, but obviously, there are some not-so-good days when I delivered cakes, and it’s made a huge difference. We get to add a little bit of light to these children’s lives, and I think that’s beautiful.”

That light is shared in the form of multi-tiered creations inspired by a young person’s wildest dreams. From a 3-foot sculpted Go, Diego, Go cake to a 3D Mario Kart cake, there’s no design outside of the realm of possibility. Each cake symbolizes a deeper purpose: a chance to go above and beyond for each child.

“Some people may ask, ‘Why does a cake really matter?’” he said. “But it’s a little bit of normalcy for

a child who doesn’t get to have it. They live with illness, doctors, hospitals, sometimes even facing death, which just isn’t fair … so, it’s nice to be able to provide a little bit of normal in all that.”

With its 40th Icing Smiles cake on the horizon, Black Sheep Cakes is well-equipped to turn vision into an artistic reality. As Mike looks to the future, all he sees are more opportunities to keep doing good.

Craft to Crumb Look | Listen

LOOK | LISTEN

Our multimedia collection features interviews, bakery tours, education, demos and more that give artisan bakers a fresh perspective on industry trends and issues.

At the Bench with Richard Charpentier

Heidi Hedeker, baker and pastry chef instructor at Kendall College, shares how growing up in a family bakery shaped her perspective on the industry.

Behind the Bake: NYC 2026 Roadshow

From Manhattan to the Lower East Side, take a look at the bakeries pioneering trends for the retail baking industry across the Big Apple and beyond.

Working in a Bakery Before Opening One

Joanne Chang, co-owner of Flour Bakery + Cafe, offers advice to entrepreneurs looking to make a career pivot to bakery ownership.

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www.crafttocrumb.com/advertise Paul Lattan paul@avantfoodmedia.com 816.585.5030

Steve Berne steve@avantfoodmedia.com 816.605.5037

Erin Zielsdorf erin@avantfoodmedia.com 937.418.5557

“IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SPEND TIME WORKING IN A COUPLE OF SHOPS TO GET DIRECT

EXPERIENCE

BEFORE TURNING TO EDUCATION.”

At the Bench is an exclusive audio series hosted by Richard Charpentier, CMB (right), CEO of Baking Innovation. Richard chats with top artisan bakers and bakery owners from around the country about the trends and challenges facing retail bakers today. To hear this full episode and more from the series, subscribe to the Craft to Crumb YouTube channel. — HEIDI HEDEKER | BAKER AND PASTRY CHEF INSTRUCTOR | KENDALL COLLEGE