Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelley and Zac Johnston.
Kelley and Zac, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I opened a small 600 sf bakery to have fresh bread and desserts for a local restaurant in 2013. I was having people stop by asking about the wonderful smell and how they can buy some to take home. I found that I really enjoyed and had a passion for making great food and being able to see the smile on people’s faces when they ate them! I decided to start selling a small amount to a few customers and it just kept growing! In 2016 we moved our location and began selling coffee.
At this point, I convinced my son Zac to come on as my partner and we then began to make the bakery into what it is today. We really wanted to make sure we were creating a space that made people feel comfortable and was always able to find quality food. The best compliment I think we have ever received is when a customer said, “I feel like you are the front porch of Covington!” We always strive to serve the best product with ingredients that we would want our own family eating and our coffee was no exception. We decided to partner with two local brothers and start The Herd, which is a small batch roaster in 2017. We feel like we have created a community of great people that just happens to serve wonderful food and coffee!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I was always taught that anything in life anything worth having is worth working for and owning a small business is no exception. One of our biggest challenges was learning how to grow and still have consistency. It is very important to us that every time a customer comes in they are given a product that is the same. We have learned that we have to wear many different hats as owners… social media director, accountant, HR, and marketing to name a few.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bread and Butter – what should we know?
We are a place that you can pick up breakfast, lunch, dinner and coffee. We also offer many Georgia grown products and other yummy treats to take home and fill your pantry. We are known for our made from scratch cinnamon rolls! The three-day process is worth it because you can tell in every bite that they are made with quality ingredients. Our pecan bars and Russian tea cookie have both won awards. I think our logo and its story really helps set us apart.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We are most proud of the fact that we have been able to keep people in the center of all of our decisions. Never want the bottom line to dictate decisions on how we treat people. We know that we are here only because of our customers and the community!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1124 Monticello Street
Covington, GA 30014 - Website: Breadandbutter.coffee
- Phone: 470-444-1330
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breadandbutter_bakery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breadandbuttercovington
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bread-and-butter-bakery-covington
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