Kneaders Bakery offers a cozy environment
If customers could use one word to describe Kneaders Bakery, it would probably be “warm.”
Walking into the small Logan cafe, one could almost believe he or she were in a bakery on the East Coast. The smell of fragrant hearth breads with an occasional whiff of chocolate hangs heavy in the air. On a weekday afternoon, the store employees are busy giving samples of Nepolean, an Italian dessert pastry, and wrapping up turkey avocado sandwiches.
It’s a brisk Monday afternoon when USU student Dokota DeWall makes his first visit to Kneaders. The sophomore, who’s an early childhood education major, is accompanied by a large group of Kneaders veterans. His favorite touch to the store is a fireplace that sits in the center of the room.
“It feels good,” he said, describing the environment of the restaurant.
According to an article in Utah Valley Magazine, the Kneaders franchise was started by retired couple Gary and Colleen Worthington, who both wanted something to do during their golden years. They had been involved in volunteer work, but it wasn’t quite enough for a couple that had previously owned nine Subway stores in Utah and Colorado.
What started as a bread store in Orem in 1997 has grown to 16 shops in three states — Idaho, Arizona and Utah. The Logan shop opened last October.
Beyond bread, the eatery now offers salads, sandwiches and a choice of more than 20 specialty desserts, such as cherry chocolate pie and authentic cannolis.
Tyson Booth, a general manager of the store, said he’d always wanted to own his own business before taking over the sandwich shop. He looked at various business opportunities over the years and finally found Kneaders through his brother-in-law, who was involved in an investment group associated with Kneaders Corporate.
“Logan is basically where we wanted to be. The opportunity was there for us, so we jumped on board,” Booth said.
Kneaders follows the trend of many bread companies like Great Harvest Bread Company and Panera Bread, but Booth said it’s the environment that makes it so different from other cafes or bakeries.
Kneaders’ most recent TV commercial tagline was “come home to Kneaders,” an expression of one of Booth’s goals for the company.
“We try to strive for creating a comfortable home-type feel,” he said. “We want to create a comfortable environment where people want to come not just by themselves, but with their families.”
Kneaders is a place where people create traditions, Booth said, whether they be college students or families with small children. He called it a “family-driven” business.
“We’re a scratch bakery. It’s good food, good environment. It’s a place where people want to come,” he said.
Since it opened two months ago, Kerstin Beach has become a regular customer of Kneader’s. She said she’s been there at least six times — maybe more.
“I manipulated them all (to come) because it’s my favorite place ever,” said Beach, standing in line waiting to order while pointing to her friends.
“It’s got a very homey feel,” Megan Israelsen, one of Beach’s friends, said.
“It’s cozy,” Beach added.
With it’s $5 unlimited French toast or sourdough pancakes, Kneaders’ business draws heavily on the local college population.
Seth Durfee, a sophomore majoring in English who has eaten at Kneader’s a few times, said there’s a strong consistency to the food.
“It does kind of feel homey,” he said. “It’s a lot different than the fast food where they’re trying to get you in and out of there as fast as they can.”
Waiting for his wife to finish her French dip sandwich, the couple sits at the table for a few minutes, talking and enjoying the environment.
“It’s been pretty solid. It’s nice that you can come here and sit down,” he said.
– allee.evensen@aggiemail.usu.edu