KANSAS CITY, MO — Twenty bakeries across the US have been shortlisted for the Outstanding Bakery category for this year’s James Beard Chef and Restaurant Awards. This category, which was added to the awards in 2023, highlights bakery operations that demonstrate excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality and operations.
The shortlist is usually announced in mid-January, a historically slower time for bakers and their businesses. Receiving the nod, however, gave several bakeries an unexpected but pleasant boost.
Melissa Yanc, owner of Quail & Condor in Healdsburg, CA, noted that since the bakery’s business usually slows down after the holidays and into early January, they typically refrain from producing large par numbers and take vacation time. Receiving the James Beard semifinalist recognition — in addition to being named one of the 22 best bakeries in the country by the New York Times in late December — increased their business by approximately 50%.
“To get the double whammy of those two, we had to double, triple down for several weeks,” Melissa shared, noting that the bakery was working hard to meet increased demand. “We were like, ‘Whatever we’re thinking for tomorrow, use it. We’ve got to make sure we stay open until one o’clock.’ But we were selling out by 10 or 11 a.m.”
To keep up with customer demand and foot traffic, Quail & Condor added two more people to its staff, with Melissa getting in the mix a bit more to support the bakery team.
Up in Seattle, the team at Saint Bread received the same double whammy.
“We work hard at this project to create a better place for our community, where people can visit on a regular basis that puts out great product,” said Yasuaki Saito, co-founder of Saint Bread. “Especially for the amount of space we have and the volume that we produce; for the staff to be recognized in that way and feel the pride in that work and the effort it takes every day is really great, especially with the timing of it.”
Similar to Quail & Condor, the wintertime is challenging. Yasuaki shared that following a slower December in terms of sales volume and a worrying outlook in the new year, the nod from the James Beard Foundation and New York Times made all the difference.
“Both of those mentions happened within a couple weeks of each other, and it was really a boon in many different ways, both morale-wise but also financially,” he shared. “It was a great opportunity for us to see less of a [business] drop-off than we normally do.”
Over on the East Coast, Carissa’s Bakery also experienced a unique impact following the news.
“As a year-round business that’s providing year housing and employment in an area that doesn’t normally do that, the winter months can feel significantly slower,” said Michele VanNostran, a spokesperson for Carissa’s. “[The semifinalist recognition] has been a great boost during the greys of winter. It’s added some sunshine.”
While the bakery’s peak falls between May and mid-to-late September, the James Beard Semifinalist recognition brought in new customers and press, which is a rarity for a business located in a seasonal city.
“It’s not like we saw a giant spike in business, but it’s brought in some new people and engaged the press in our business during a period where no one tends to write about things in the Hamptons in the middle of winter,” Michele said.
While this isn’t the bakery’s first James Beard recognition — Carissa’s won the Outstanding Restaurant Design Award during the 2020 rendition of the awards — receiving the semifinalist distinction in the Outstanding Bakery category carries a different impact.
“There’s so much integrity in the work and everybody who’s involved in the business,” Michele said. “We’re a small yet mighty team, so having recognition for every employee with this award is what makes us so happy about it. It’s not just isolated to one singular person; it’s a team effort.”
For Yasuaki, the recognition generated excitement not just for the community but for the entire staff of Saint Bread.
“We have a solid team across the board, and for them to see that sort of recognition of the work is really great,” he said. “It’s awesome for us as a small business.”
Receiving these prestigious national recognitions has an impact not only professionally but personally.
“When I was coming up in pastry school and would get so nerdy about all these pedigrees of chefs that earned this award or have these large recognitions, I was like, ‘Man, someday I’m going to work for that person,’” Melissa reflected. “Never do you think, ‘I’m going to get that.’ Now I feel kind of blindsided that I am that person, and there are people coming to work for me. I think that’s pretty exciting.”
