Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Robert St. John: 10 Things I've Learned Opening a Bakery

 I am opening a bakery today.

Opening any style of restaurant is one of the most stressful activities one will ever experience. I’ve done it two dozen times. Opening any business is stressful, complicated, and grueling. But there are so many moving parts to a restaurant, no matter how many foodservice establishments one has worked in— or opened— the concept is still new to everyone, it's still complicated, and it's still hectic.

This column is being written at 4:00 AM on the opening day of a bakery I've been working on for the last 18 months. It's a business I've been dreaming of opening for over a decade. For the past six years I have been trying to coax pastry chef Martha Foose, and her husband, master baker Donald Bender, to my hometown of Hattiesburg to join me in opening— what we plan to be— the best restaurant bakery in the state of Mississippi as soon as we open the doors.

It's been a long journey. We started developing pastry recipes and researching bakery items 18 months ago. I signed the lease on the building exactly one year ago. The two key players, Foose and Bender, have been on board for almost a year. I've never spent this long opening a business.

Last fall we opened an Italian restaurant in Ridgeland, MS in what ended up being a two-week turnaround. That is the shortest time I've ever spent opening a new concept. It turned out to be a huge mistake, though we had no choice as we had to work under the parameters of the lease/takeover deal we signed. Never again. It took months to recover from the rocky start. 

This new bakery that is opening in a few minutes is the exact opposite of that situation. It has been a year and a half in the making. Once I finally convinced Foose and Bender to move from the Mississippi Delta down to the Pine Belt of South Mississippi we began looking for a space. A small bakery had just closed almost across the street from some of other restaurants. After a couple of months of negotiations, the landlord stated he wanted me to pay the back rent of the previous tenant and I walked. That ended up being a blessing. We found the building we are currently in and it's perfect.

In the mid 1970s a long-time Hattiesburg jeweler moved from downtown to West Hattiesburg, one block from the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. They built a unique building and did business there for several years. Eventually the jeweler closed, and a bank opened on this spot. Once the bank sold to a larger bank the building became a successive string of credit unions. When we took it over it had been empty for a year or more.

I liked the building for several reasons. The visibility is great and the traffic count is good. It's also close to the campus of the university. But most importantly it's in Midtown Hattiesburg. I grew up in Midtown. My childhood home was about six blocks from where our restaurants are located. My current home is eight blocks from our restaurants. As a business owner I planted my flag in Midtown Hattiesburg in 1987 and we have been doing business in this area ever since. 


Photo credit: Kate Dearman


In my opinion, it makes a lot of sense for business owners— who are going to own multiple businesses— to stake their claim in a specific area. That way you can truly “buy into” the neighborhood. We are deeply invested in Midtown Hattiesburg. We formed the Midtown Merchants Association to take care of the business needs and the neighborhood needs of this area and are making great strides. We are building a park which will include Hattiesburg 's only all-inclusive playground. There's a dog park in the preliminary planning stages and several other projects such as murals and beautification of the gateways on the drawing board.

Things I have learned opening a bakery:

1.) There’s absolutely no way to open a bakery without gaining weight— I have put on 20 pounds taste-testing breads and pastries over the past three months.

2.) When everything in a bakery is made from scratch, it’s a game changer— that’s one thing we always agreed on. So many bakeries are using icings out of a tub, and so many cake makers are using boxed mixes. We start from scratch on everything. It matters.

3.) There’s nothing plain about vanilla— In the words of Martha Foose, “On one sweet day in Madagascar a Melpomene bee or a hummingbird wakes up and finds a particular orchid that blooms just one day a year. They pollinate on that exact day and then hope nothing disturbs the blossoms until a vanilla-bean seedpod forms. That seedpod is picked, dried, fermented and then shipped to America where— after a series of stops across the country— it eventually makes its way to Hardy Street in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to be enjoyed at Loblolly Bakery.” Again, there’s nothing plain about vanilla

4.) The better the butter the richer the croissant— some people use a combination of margarine and butter for croissants. We use French butter with a high butterfat content and it’s a gamechanger.

5.) There’s no way to be truly gluten free in most bakery environments (certainly this one)— There is so much flour floating around on an hourly basis, it’s impossible— at least in our building’s configuration— to offer true gluten free options that would be made in our building. I hate it, but it’s the reality of the situation.

6.) Sometimes bakery by-products are better than the original— I like bagels fine. We bake a lot of them. I like bagel chips even more. We take day-old bagels, slice them razor thin, brush them with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt, and slow-toast them in the oven. Perfection.

7.) Cookies don’t need a lot of extras to be good— The giant, over-decorated cookie craze has taken over lately. I get it. Cookies with all sorts of exotic toppings look great for social media posts. But give me a simple great-tasting cookie with real butter and pure ingredients and I am a happy man.

8.) Coffee is important but, when done right, it can be complicated—The head of our bakery coffee program, Wes Walton, is a certified Q Grader (basically a sommelier for coffee). There are only 500 of them in the United States. He’s the only one in Mississippi. Wes, and our company COO, Jarred Patterson, have developed an excellent coffee program with locally roasted beans and made-from-scratch syrups and accompaniments to go with our pastries.

9.) Baked goods make people happy— My friend, Wyatt Waters once said, “Donuts are the happiest food.” I agree, but I’d throw in bakery pastries, too. Have you ever seen anyone make a sad face while eating a warm croissant with homemade strawberry preserves?

10.) It smells better than any restaurant I’ve ever opened— The aromas change depending on what time of day one arrives, but all the fragrances are magnificent.

In conclusion, one is never too old to learn lessons in the restaurant business.

 Onward 


Boursin

This is the recipe we serve in the Crescent City Grill. In addition to being a good spread for crackers, it can also be used to stuff mushroom caps, and as a filling for miniature puff pastry turnovers.

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 Tbl salted butter, softened

1 /2 tsp       Creole Seasoning

1 /4 tsp       Minced garlic

1 /8 tsp thyme, oregano rosemary, chives, basil, dill, sage

1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped fine

2 Tbl half and half

1 tsp sherry vinegar

1 /4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 /3 cup sour cream

Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on high speed until all ingredients are well incorporated, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure all ingredients are combined.

Yield: 2 cups



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Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
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