After what seems to be an eternity, the aroma of freshly baked marble rye and other culinary staples of the iconic American Bakery may begin wafting throughout the Westside of Grand Rapids as early as Saturday, depending on whether the establishment gets approvals to open from city and state inspectors.
And no one may be happier to see American Bakery open its doors than staffers of the West Side branch of the Grand Rapids Public Library, just across the street from the bakery.
"They're getting tired of people calling and asking them to look over to see if we're open," says Dwight Fausnaugh, the new owner of American Bakery, whose formal name is the American Bread Co.
"It'll be nice to have them open," a library staffer says. "I like the bread, but not all the phone calls."
Four massive bread ovens will be fired up to churn out favorites ranging from sourdough to pumpernickel and hopefully put to rest the nagging question that's dogged Fausnaugh for months: "Are you open yet?"
"We're ready to open this week, but we still need the approvals," says Fausnaugh, 60, who with wife Elizabeth have been working to bring the bakery up to code since buying the business at 712 Bridge St. NW last summer. The bakery will employ between 15 and 20 full- and part-time workers now, but it may bring more employees on board once it gets established further.
American Bakery plans to hold a formal opening next week, complete with local political dignitaries. But formally open or not, it will have a line of customers snaking out onto Bridge Street this Saturday if the doors aren't locked and the bread is ready.
Getting the Full Impact
Among those anxious for the opening is Mic Carlson, a Grand Rapids artist who lives on the West Side.
"Used to go there all the time," Carlson says. "I've gone there twice and knocked on the door and said 'when you going to open?'
"I miss the rye bread," Carlson added. "You can't get rye bread like that anywhere else. But you have to slice it thin for full impact."
It has been an exercise in patience, to be sure. The 10,000-square-foot facility had to be refurbished to bring it up to code. "It has cost us three times more than what we thought," Fausnaugh says, estimating that the company already has spent $100,000 on renovations. Because there was a disruption in operation, a grandfather clause that exempted the business from building code changes no longer applies.
Fausnaugh and family members, including stepson Marvin Koster who serves an office administrator, are there every day helping with construction and administrative details. He holds an option to purchase the property and buildiing.
For a while, they put paper wrap over the large glass windows overlooking Bridge Street, hoping to reduce the number of people peeking in and inquiring about opening day. It didn't help, so the paper came down.
A woman pushing a baby stroller on a overcast Friday afternoon in early March opened the front door and called out: "You open?"
"Not yet," Fausnaugh responds. "We're working on it. Give us a few weeks." He shakes his head and takes another draw from a Basic menthol cigarette. "Honestly, it's been like this every day," he says.
Calls and drop-ins began during the Christmas holiday season when stories circulated about its imminent reopening. It happened again in February based on another news story.
American Bakery in late March cleared some preliminary rounds inspections, and the actual operating license was to arrive from Lansing this week.
So, what's been the biggest challenge? "Getting over the stress," he deadpans. "It's been re-do, re-do, re-do -- just one thing after another."
Starting Over
Fausnaugh, a native of Ohio who had a successful career in the West Michigan home improvement business, saw untapped potential in re-opening the bakery, which has been in operation in various forms for nearly a century.
Its longest sustained owner was Julius Marks, who purchased the business shortly after World War II and ran it until 1978, when the Dee Patel family took over. That family operated American Bakery until 1999, when it was sold to Bob Patel, who immigrated from India to Michigan in 1996 and isn't any relation to the Dee Patel family.
About five years ago, Bob Patel turned day-to-day operations over to business associates when he left Michigan. The Masih family ran American Bakery until August before shutting down because of family obligations.
Fausnaugh was one of several prospective buyers. When his offer was approved, he got in touch with the family of Bob Patel, who moved to Arkansas. Bob Patel has been helping Fausnaugh reconnect with former business clients and also offering culinary guidance.
One of American Bakery's trade secrets is its recipes for rye bread and other baked goods. Marks, the long-time previous owner, died in 2004, but Fausnaugh found the original recipes in an old safe at the bakery. Unfortunately, Fausnaugh "couldn't read the chicken-scratch and I wanted to make sure we have everything written down correctly," so he asked Bob Patel to send him copies of the recipes.
"The Patels are coming up to teach us how to do it first-hand," Fausnaugh says. "One of the original chefs who worked here before the Patels bought it is also coming back."
In addition to bread, coffee and doughnuts, American Bakery will offer soups, chili, chicken pot pie, hot turkey and meatloaf. "We'll fixate on the menu," he says. "That's one thing we want to focus on is our daily menu offerings."
Changes will be subtle, but noticeable, to long-time customers. The retail and eating area was expanded to about 1,200 square feet and red wood paneling replaced with brick veneer. The tile floor is the same, as is the blackboard behind the counter with a hand-written list of breads.
Two rooftop air conditioners were added and upgrades made to the stoves, air exchangers and industrial appliances. A handicap-accessible bathroom was added to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It's been tough getting work accomplished amid constant interruptions, Fausnaugh says. "We'd have a hundred calls a day; seriously," he says. "Calls are coming from Arkansas, Kansas and just about every city in Michigan.
"Everyone who opens the door and walks in here has a story or a memory of this place when they were growing up." Mail-order customers came from as far away as Florida.
Koster, 30, is the unofficial historian. He's collecting memorabilia, old newspaper articles and other tangible links to American Bakery's storied past. "A lot of people like the rye bread and prune-filled Paczkis," he says.
Production Protocol
Though buying a three-pound loaf of sourdough rye may be a holiday tradition for neighborhood customers, American Bakery's bread and butter, so to speak, are corporate clients, including area churches and businesses with large food service facilities. You'll also find its buns and rolls in popular restaurants.
The bakery will run around the clock and is a "big part" of American Bakery's business plan, Fausnaugh says, adding that the bakery already has commercial accounts from Muskegon to Lansing.
Just six years ago, former owners Bob and Lalita Patel churned out 2,500 loaves of bread and fresh-baked desserts on the Saturday before Easter using recipes passed on from owner to owner at what was then called American Bread Co.
It was common to see lines stretched out the door Holy Saturday, much like they were on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday when they produced more than 450 dozen paczki; fried dough rolled in sugar and stuffed with prune filling.
Among its most popular items are Polish, Russian and Italian rye, Latvian, Vienna and French breads.
One of its greatest legacies has been charitable giving: loaves donated to the neighborhood's hungry and established food pantries.
It is something Fausnaugh plans to continue. "It is part of the tradition; looking out for one another," he says.
Former Home & Garden Editor for The Grand Rapids Press, John Hogan is a journalist with more than two decades of professional experience covering everything from homicides to hostas.
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
Photos:
Original neon sign
General Manager Keith Kelly stands inside a refurbished oven
Baker Jim Reichlin who worked for former owner Julius Marks
Dwight Fausnaugh - Owner
Dwight and Elizabeth Fausnaugh
New staff at American Bakery