Tools of the Trade | Kelly Jacques and Sam Weiss | Ayu Bakehouse
The co-owners of Ayu Bakehouse talk about their must-have tools of the trade: spreadsheets and tastebuds
September 17, 2026
The co-owners of Ayu Bakehouse talk about their must-have tools of the trade: spreadsheets and tastebuds
The co-owners of Ayu Bakehouse share how they engage food writers, local hotels and other area businesses to build their customer base organically.
The co-owners of Ayu Bakehouse talk about their must-have tools of the trade: spreadsheets and tastebuds
The co-owners of Ayu Bakehouse share how they engage food writers, local hotels and other area businesses to build their customer base organically.
Ellen King, founder and co-owner of Hewn Bread, shares the intention behind the bakery’s in-person ordering approach and how it boosts business.
Dominique Schewebach, co-founder and co-owner of Hendrickx Bakery, shares the origin story behind the bakery’s Croizāng, a now-permanent menu item influenced by Asian pastry culture.
Aqeel Wahiduddin, co-founder and co-owner of Verzênay, lists the bakery’s achievements at the 2025 World Bread Awards and their impact on business.
Matthew Sheridan, general manager at Au Levain Bakery and Café, unveils a few of the current trends shaping product development in Chicago.
Susan Bae, pastry chef and partner at Moon Rabbit, shares her thoughts after winning Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker at the 2026 James Beard Foundation Awards.
Hope Romeo, executive pastry chef at Wild Crumb, shares her thoughts after Wild Crumb wins Outstanding Bakery at the 2026 James Beard Foundation Awards.
Cat Cox, owner of Country Bird Bakery in Tulsa, OK, discusses the importance of building the bakery’s menu around seasonal produce from local farmers.
Cat Cox, owner of Country Bird Bakery, shares how winning Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker at the 2025 James Beard Awards has impacted her business.
Joanne Chang, co-owner of Flour Bakery + Cafe, offers her advice to those looking to make a career change to being a bakery owner.
Jeremy Motley, overnight baker at Starship Bagel, shares his hands-on approach to bagel-making.
Oren Salomon, founder of Starship Bagel, shares how the bakery ramped up following a second BagelFest win.
Chrissy Traore, founder of See & Be Kitchen, breaks down how she approached building out the bakery’s new franchising program.
Deanna Halcrow, co-founder of Emerald City Bagels, discusses why she and her daughter, Jackie, chose to open another brick-and-mortar shop vs. expanding the wholesale business.
Harra Conticelli, pastry manager at Moxie Bread Co., shares why balancing creativity and production is important to the bottom line in a small operation.
Harra Conticelli, pastry manager at Moxie Bread Co., looks to trends, seasons and nostalgia to get ideas for the bakery’s next big thing.
Pippa Clark, owner of Moxie Bread Co., talks about the unexpected findings the B Corp application process revealed about the community-focused bakery.
Ellen King, founder and co-owner of Hewn Bread, shares the intention behind the bakery’s in-person ordering approach and how it boosts business.
Dominique Schewebach, co-founder and co-owner of Hendrickx Bakery, shares the origin story behind the bakery’s Croizāng, a now-permanent menu item influenced by Asian pastry culture.
Aqeel Wahiduddin, co-founder and co-owner of Verzênay, lists the bakery’s achievements at the 2025 World Bread Awards and their impact on business.
Matthew Sheridan, general manager at Au Levain Bakery and Café, unveils a few of the current trends shaping product development in Chicago.