This is the fourth article in a Vendor Profile Series intended to share the history and diversity of the Market through the stories of our vendors, as we celebrate our 25th Season. This article is written by journalist Barry Courter.
When the Bluff View Art District bought an old farm building in the district in the early 2000s, it planned to convert the space into a bakery. The goal was to update the equipment and add a wholesale component to the business.
General Manager Angela Niemeyer says, however, she never imagined the endeavor would one day lead to the sale of more than $1 million worth of bread at the Chattanooga Market alone.
But when market director Chris Thomas took a close look at the books last year, he realized that two longtime vendors (Miller's Original Lemonade is the other) had indeed surpassed that financial milestone.
Thomas didn't tell anyone about his find at first, so the news came as a surprise to the bakery staff.
“We had no idea, and we were surprised when we showed up that morning at the market and they had a trophy for us,” said Will Grafton, market manager of the Bluff View Bakery and head roaster of Rembrandt's Roasting Company.
The sales figure is significant for several reasons, Niemeyer said.
“It tells us that people like the bread, and that means a lot, but it is also a big part of the business,” she said.
“Everyone knows everyone and we all support each other.” -- Will Grafton
The Bluff View Art District is home to Rembrandt's Coffee House, Rembrandt's Roasting Company, Bluff View Inn, Bluff View Bakery, River Gallery, River Gallery Sculpture Garden, Bluff View Events and Tony's Pasta Shop & Trattoria.
It's a family owned and operated endeavor founded and owned by Niemeyer's parents, Dr. Charles and Mary Portera. Grafton is Niemeyer's nephew and son of her sister, Lisa, who is accounting manager.
Niemeyer said having a booth at the Chattanooga Market every Sunday makes the bread available to locals and tourists, as well as people who may or may not visit the restaurants inside the district.
Just as importantly, Grafton said, he often sells bread to other vendors who add it to their menus on a regular basis or who might need some on days when they sell out of the stock they brought.
“It's a close community,” Grafton said of his fellow vendors. “Everyone knows everyone and we all support each other.”
Niemeyer said Bluff View staff began baking bread in what is now the pastry kitchen in 1993 to supply the Back Inn Cafe with bread for diners.
It moved its operation into the basement of Renaissance Commons in 1996, where it was doing the baking in an old pizza oven.
Rembrandt's and Tony's opened in 1994. After purchasing an old barn that had been converted to an advertising agency years earlier, the plan was to buy a proper bread-baking oven and commit to a bakery.
That was, in part, because while restaurant diners enjoyed the fresh-baked loaves, it didn't make economic sense for a single location, so Niemeyer looked for other ways to produce revenue, and supplying bread to other restaurants seemed smart.
When the market opened in 2002, it was a pleasant and welcome surprise, she said.
“It was ahead of its time, as the whole farm to table thing was just getting started,” she said.
Niemeyer said the bakery sold between 50 and 100 loaves a weekend in those early days. Last year during the two-day opening weekend, it sold 1,097 loaves, and 837 loaves were sold on Oktoberfest weekend. On slow weekends, usually when the weather is either rainy or very hot, they will sell about 400-450 loaves.
The bakery took a huge leap forward when Niemeyer reached out to a friend in Atlanta asking for a recommendation for an experienced breadmaker.
“He (her friend) said, 'How about the best in the world?'” Niemeyer said.
As luck would have it, Alou Niangadou had recently retired as head baker for Buckhead Bakery in Atlanta. Niemeyer contacted him about offering his expertise here. After a visit, he agreed to help and eventually spent about 4 days a week training and getting things set up.
He worked with the staff for about four years beginning in 2009.
“We still use his recipes,” Niemeyer said.
Grafton has been working the market booth since 2013 and is there every weekend with either one or two other employees. The bakery has another 12-15 employees and offers between 25 different types of breads, some made with fresh basil or rosemary grown by his grandfather in the garden at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Fourth Street.
“He uses the coffee grinds and egg shells we produce in his compost,” Niemeyer said.
Grafton said the bakery is constantly rethinking the breads it offers, and he is always listening to customers’ suggestions for their particular wants.
