Bread+Water: Transforms Units with Help from Employees

Alexandria / VA. (bwc) At a time when many businesses have closed their doors, the staff at Bread + Water Company, a local bakery, and farm-to-table restaurant is now delivering real, legit food to hungry customers craving something special during the long days of at-home quarantine. Beginning with a decision to close for 24 hours to regroup, founders Markos Panas and Noelie Rickey were confronted with the reality of a community depending on them. Many of their regulars are first responders and healthcare professionals working on the front lines.

Staff and customers urged that they push forward, which led the team to dramatically transform the eatery into a pure delivery model to continue serving the community in light of sweeping local business closures. With a pick-up window prioritizing service to workers on the front lines, the bakery has remained open, implementing advanced sanitization and safety measures, including social-distancing protocols during deliveries, and at the curbside pick-up window.

According to founder Markos Panas, «Our mission has always been the same: serve this community. We lost about 50 percent of our business overnight when the farmers markets closed and about another 20 percent of our revenue when the wholesale business dried up. As a team, we responded by innovating and doubling down on what we do best, and that’s our retail business. Since everyone is stuck at home, we are also offering dinner service and meal kits for the first time. Now, we’re delivering the goods to our customers’ doorsteps.» Delivery and curbside pick-up ordering are available by phone. Menu and delivery area at breadandwatercompany.com.