TORRINGTON – Torrington is officially home to “the sweetest bakery” in Wyoming. The Bread Doctor earned the distinction earlier this fall, following a five-month-long contest in which host Dawn Foods asked residents to vote for their favorite bakery.
“In the second year of the competition, Dawn Foods invited communities across the U.S. and Canada to cast their vote (from March 1 through July 31 in the U.S. and April 1 – July 31 in Canada) and help their favorite bakery win the title of Sweetest Bakery in America and Canada,” a press release regarding the award reads. “Dawn received more than 2.1 million votes in-store and online throughout the contest, three times more than last year. Participating customers also saw double-digit increases in sales growth throughout the contest.”
Ezdan Fluckiger began selling baked goods from his home in the fall of 2013. In 2015, he and wife, Lisa, officially unveiled The Bread Doctor storefront at 2017 Main St. in Torrington.
“Any time you open a small business, you’re taking a risk,” Fluckiger said. “(Success) is dependent on whether the public thinks the business is worthwhile.”
For the first three weeks after opening, Ezdan, Lisa, and their son, William, and daughter, Eleanor, handled the hungry crowds on their own.
“It just became apparent that we were going to have more business,” Fluckiger said. “We had our first three employees by the end of 2015 – one in August, two in November. We pretty much stayed at that for a year.”
Now, The Bread Doctor features eight employees and an ever-growing customer base.
“We have more people coming in that we have not seen before … and we have a customer loyalty program people began enrolling in this year,” Fluckiger said. “The last few years, we’ve slowly increased in volume, and (seen an) increase in the number of special-order jobs … it feels like it’s growing nicely.”
Fluckiger said he ascribes to European-style baking – specifically less sugar and salt and an overall emphasis on flavor.
“We’re trying to make sure that our flavors are dynamic,” he said.
During a typical week, Fluckiger and his crew make croissants on Wednesday – he added special orders for the flaky French rolls should be in by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. He bakes savory and sweet rolls and other pastries and breads every day, and customers who provide their email addresses can expect a weekly newsletter with the week’s specialties.
Perhaps this emphasis on flavor, variety and keeping the customers in mind is what led so many to cast their votes for The Bread Doctor during this year’s “Sweetest Bakery” contest.
“My (Dawn Foods) rep … had been keeping me apprised – I can’t remember if they called me or just sent an email,” Fluckiger said. In addition to a plaque – now displayed at the bakery – The Bread Doctor also received a monetary award for advertising and a chance to visit the Dawn Foods Innovation Studio in Texas.
“We really appreciate the community’s support,” Fluckiger said. “At this Thanksgiving time, we’re just very grateful.”
In the future, Fluckiger hopes to continue delighting customers with his fresh-baked fare.
“We’re hoping to be a big part of the town’s Thanksgiving – all of our stuff is made from scratch,” he said. “We’d like to increase our ability to handle special orders, offer a larger variety of breads, more birthday and special-occasion cakes.”
Please note, The Bread Doctor will have special hours next week due to the holiday. The bakery will be open Tuesday, Nov. 20 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Wednesday, Nov. 21 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Thursday and Friday. It will reopen on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Regular hours are Thursday and Friday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Contact the bakery at (307) 534-BAKE or thebreaddoctor@gmail.com with questions or special-order requests.
