On the rise | A conversation with Dara Reimers, owner of The Bread Shack in Auburn
Founded: August 2008
Employees: 6
Startup costs: $60,000
Projected revenue, year one: $150,000
Projected revenue, year two: $235,000
Contact: 376-3090 1056 Center St., Auburn 04210
www.thebreadshack.com
What does The Bread Shack do?
We produce artisan breads and slow or naturally leavened breads. I also have a breakfast pastry line, croissant rolls from scratch and other breakfast rolls. I’m slowly expanding into lunch with soups and sandwiches. The sandwich line is all about the bread; everything I do is about selling the bread. The most popular lunch item seems to be caprese, served on a baguette with fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil — with or without prosciutto. I broaden the menu all the time, such as adding tarts and tortes to the pastry line. I still have a full line of espresso, but that’s not a big part of my business yet. But I think it will take off. [The espresso machine] is the most expensive piece of equipment here.
How did you start the business? Why launch now?
I’d been trying for years, the timing was out of my control. It finally happened when everything came together. My reputation was high, coming back from the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie [an artisan bread competition in Paris where Reimers, representing the U.S., finished third in her category]. The financing was there. The location. I was ready for it and everything came together easily.
How did you finance The Bread Shack?
I got out-of-state financing through a private arrangement [with a bank]. It was crazy, and speaks to the luck I’ve had the last couple of years. Five years ago I wrote so many business plans … it was hugely exhausting. They got rave reviews, but none of the pieces came together to get the bakery off the ground. This situation [with the out-of-state bank] came out of the blue. They approached me. I was able to demonstrate a certain level of business acumen [the bankers] were happy to hear about, such as how to protect yourself from burnout.
How are you marketing The Bread Shack?
I’ve done some newspaper advertising, and news stories did so much for my business. People wanted to know about that woman who went to Paris. I have lots of printed materials and I brand everything that goes out of here. I’m developing a website now. There’s a lot of word-of-mouth working for me and I’m trying to learn how to market that. Another tactic I’ve used is having a shopping bag imprinted with my logo. People bring it back and I give them 10% off a future purchase.
What’s your biggest challenge?
Maintaining my energy level, being able to do it all. I have new bakers who I’m training from scratch. There are certain skill sets that have to be completely communicated … it’s so important. I have a very good night baker, who is professionally and formally trained. I gave him my baking right away in October. I was so overwhelmed in October. It seems I’m always transmitting knowledge, and as an introverted baker, that’s a challenge, to manage people. It was really crazy for a couple of months, but now I’m getting seven or eight hours of sleep. Monday is my day to be in the shop alone. It’s when I do all my mixing and administrative work. I’m in charge of product development, so I try to set aside some time for that.
Are you looking forward to anything special?
I’ve been invited back to compete in the individual World Baking Cup. It’s one year from now, so that creates another management problem. I’m representing the Bread Bakers Guild of America, doing the artistic design and showpiece category again. I’ve got to find time to train.
What’s that like?
Last time, I trained twice a week starting in the summer for an April competition. It was exhausting. The piece itself was a meter cubed and the theme I had to work with was “Bread: Symbol of your Country.” It took me a couple of months to figure out how to handle the theme ... One of my favorite things is baguette dough, which when stretched thin, looks like broken glass. So that made me think of a broken window, which led to a baseball, a bat, a glove, a picnic table with an apple pie ... all pretty iconic symbols of America.
Interview by Carol Coultas
New Ventures profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
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