Breadsmith bakery brings loaves and sweets to Bradenton. The owners have expansion plans
Breadsmith, specializing in handcrafted, European-style artisan breads, is pulling in customers with not only fresh loaves but cookies, scones, cakes and more.
More than a few were attracted by the stand-up sidewalk sign that advertised fresh cinnamon buns.
Partners George Prentice, Corey Grubb and Jeremy Collins opened the bakery in January at 6425 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, in the Fountain Court shopping center, and say that business has been strong.
Bill and Susan Scott arrived at the shopping center this week to visit the Christian bookstore, spotted the bakery and decided to check it out.
They left with coffee cake, a loaf of Cuban bread, cranberry-orange scones and hamantaschen, a traditional Jewish triangular filled shortbread cookie.
“They know what they are doing and give you a complete description of their products,” Susan Scott said.
Breadsmith bakery opens in Bradenton
Customers were also walking over after dining at Popi’s Place next door.
Breadsmith was founded in 1993 and is based in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. There are independently owned and franchised bakeries in 16 states.
“We’re the 36th franchise,” Prentice said. And, he might add, the first in Florida.
Prentice, who has lived in Bradenton for 26 years, knew about Breadsmith through his business interests in the Milwaukee area. He liked the products so much that whenever he was in Wisconsin, he would always bring bread back to Bradenton.
“We knew when we were deciding to open a franchise in Bradenton, we wanted to be on Manatee Avenue West and west of 59th Street West,” Prentice said.
Breadsmith’s breads and sweets are baked fresh from scratch, using high-quality ingredients, with no additives or preservatives, according to the company web page.
“We not only make each loaf by hand, we use a 5-ton, European hearth stone oven for all our baking,” the company says.
The Bradenton Breadsmith has two spaces in the shopping center for its oversized bakery.
Prentice is already in discussions with local restaurants about handling their baking needs and is actively looking for satellite locations in Ellenton or Parrish and in Sarasota. He is also projecting that in the future Breadsmith could serve clients in Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Breadsmith already has a partnership with Manatee County’s Banyan Coffee, and a sign at the counter invites guests to enjoy a cup of their coffee.
Breadsmith’s offerings are extensive, but the full list can be found at Breadsmith.com.
The best-seller, so far, is sourdough bread.
“We have the best sourdough on the west coast of Florida,” Prentice said.
Sweets are also very popular, outselling the bread by a factor of 20%, he said.
A surprise for Prentice has been the popularity of the dog bones baked at Breadsmith.
What to know
▪ Name: Breadsmith
▪ Address: 6425 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton
▪ Days and hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
▪ Online: breadsmith.com
▪ Phone: (941) 567-5615
