HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Amy Wild, owner of Staff of Life Bread Company in Harrisonburg, is selling her bakery due to rising costs and staffing challenges after five years of ownership.
Wild Took over Staff of Life Bread Company in 2019 by continuing the tradition started by founder Abby Bowman nearly two decades ago. Wild said difficulty maintaining enough skilled workers to meet demand was a primary reason for her decision. She noted the widespread labor shortage in the culinary industry, making it hard to meet production needs.
“Harrisonburg itself is experiencing a lot of growth, may not be as well directed as we can hope for. So we have a lot of challenges with becoming a foodie city, which is fantastic, but we need infrastructure and employees to make that work,” said Wild.
The bakery, which has been a local staple for nearly 20 years, is known for its artisan breads made from traditional “old-world” recipes. Wild plans to sell the business by January, hoping to find a buyer who can continue the bakery’s legacy.
“Current chefs don’t really want to have restaurants. The cost, the financing, the obligation- the nightmare of people hiring- it’s just really too much- and it could be really overwhelming,” said Wild.
Baked goods from the bakery will still be available at the Friendly City Food Co-op on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons. Staff of Life Breads are currently available Saturday mornings at the Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market, Leesburg Farmer’s Market, and offers curbside order pick-ups at the Bakery.
For more information, visit the bakery website.
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