A fresh sourdough country loaf made by Bread Man Baking Co. in Houston. Photo courtesy of BrandTree Media.
A new 40,000 square foot facility at 305 Gelhorn has enabled the local Houston bakery Bread Man Baking Co. to start shipping statewide from Houston. The new facility is a huge leap from the previous one, which was just 4,500 square feet.
Owner Tasos Katsaounis is living the American Dream as a first-generation Greek-American. Born and raised in North Texas, Katsaounis got his start in the hospitality industry at an early age as a young child in a family bar and restaurant. He learned to cook alongside his grandmother. In 2008, Katsaounis met his wife, Rolled Christie of The fame of KRBE’s “Roula and Ryan Show,” who hails from Houston and is also a member of the Christie’s Seafood and Steaks family of restaurateurs.
Years later, Katsaounis started cooking at home to decompress from his consulting career. At the suggestion of his daughter, he started Bread Man Baking Co. in 2018. Since then, the company has been making specialty breads for a host of highly regarded restaurants in Houston, including Georgia James, Killan Restaurants, sweetgreen, renaissance market, Post Oak Hotel, and much more. By 2022, Bread Man Baking Co. had grown to serve nearly 165 restaurants, providing golden sourdough, savory focaccia, buttery brioche rolls, and sometimes even custom breads for specific uses. Tremendous public demand for natural foods has fueled the exceptional growth of Bread Man Baking Co.
“At Breadman Baking Co., we source the highest quality ingredients and never use artificial or chemical additives, which is in high demand right now,” said Drew Gimma, Operations Manager. In particular, he learned the trade of artisanal baker at Sullivan Street Bakery in New York, studying with a famous American chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller at Cork and In itself in New York, as well as the management of bread programs Common link, better luck tomorrow and squable in Houston.
According to Gimma, there are only a few bakeries in the Greater Houston area that never use chemical additives. Additionally, Bread Man Baking Co. is trying to open up new opportunities to enjoy bread for those who are gluten sensitive (as opposed to people with celiac disease, which is a different and more serious issue). Unlike the rapid fermentation processes of commercial bakeries, Bread Man’s long sourdough process allows certain carbohydrates and acids to be broken down into more digestible forms. The resulting breads are so successful that, according to the company, some grocery store chains are asking for their own lines of breads. “What sets us apart is the care we put into all of our breads,” Katsaounis said.
Recently approached to take over the management of the plant, a new addition to the team, Leo Garza, has 20 years of experience in commercial bakery production management for HEB and Bimbo. Combine this knowledge with Gimma’s culinary experience and the results are sure to be extraordinary.
“Customers call us every day asking where our store is,” said Katsaounis, who constantly breaks the hearts of Houstonians by telling them there’s no storefront anymore, just a really big factory. of production. However, he says offering direct-to-consumer buying options is on his radar.
Although there are no more storefront or direct-to-consumer options, you can find breads from Bread Man Baking Co. in 48 whole foods stores across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas, as well as the more than 165 restaurants it supplies. According to Katsaounis, another business partner who has not yet been named will be added soon.
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