FARGO - When Trisha Nemzek's mother returns to California from visits to Duluth, she saves room in her suitcase for some treasure from the Breadsmith store in Fargo.
Nemzek, a Moorhead resident, plans to see her mother in the Northland soon when she visits Nemzek's grandmother.
"She made sure that I wasn't coming to Duluth without her bread," Nemzek said during a visit to the store this week.
October marks the 10th anniversary of the Breadsmith store at 1617 32nd Ave. S., and its owners have cultivated some loyal customers in those years.
The staff at the bread store was stocking the bins with an assortment of breads, manning the slicer, prepping chocolate chip cookie dough, baking dessert breads and generally taking care of business when The Forum visited Wednesday to get a taste of what a Breadsmith morning is like.
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It starts early. Assistant manager Ann Farmer had been at the store since 5:45 a.m. Sales associate Samuel Allred arrived at 5 a.m., and had already delivered some bread before 6 a.m.
"Our goal is to be the best proprietor of bread in the Fargo-Moorhead area," said Rob Roberts, who has owned the Fargo Breadsmith franchise since it opened in 2002.
It has been at its current location since the beginning.
"You don't want to move an oven like this. That weighs 14,000 pounds," said the 54-year-old Roberts.
He was referring to the "steam-injected, stone hearth oven imported from France," where the yeast-laden, from-scratch baking action happens.
That equipment is part of a standard of excellence Roberts takes seriously. He said if he wants fine food, he visits a fine restaurant. And for those who want a fine bread, "I like to think we're your consideration for that."
Breadsmith is a Wisconsin-based company with stores in 15 states.
Roberts recently celebrated the store's decade anniversary with an open house fundraiser for the YWCA of Cass Clay. Roberts, who also regularly donates unused bread to the community, believes in his business being involved with and giving to the community.
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"If you don't give, you can't receive," he said.
"A lady just called. She wants me to speak to their teachers' group: absolutely," Roberts said. "I'm happy to do it. We do kids tours through here. Anything we can do to help introduce our product to our area, we're thrilled to do."
Farmer has worked for the Fargo Breadsmith shop for about six years and has been employed there three different times.
"I like the job because of the customers," she said.
"Really, the customer is king here," Roberts said. "I mean, a lot of people talk about things like that, but we really mean it."
Readers can reach Forum reporter J. Shane Mercer at (701) 451-5734
