Acme Bread Company

People

Steve, Suzie, Becca and Rachel Sullivan, Claudio Rezende, Monica Contois, Laura Wilches, Michael Jaramillo, and Christina Jauregui, along with more than 220 full-time workers, all of whom are offered full medical benefits, a 401k plan, and profit sharing when feasible, with a company-wide $21.76/hour minimum wage.

Where

Berkeley, San Francisco, and South San Francisco; 12, 0, and 10 miles to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

About

In the late 1970s, Steve worked as a busboy at Chez Panisse restaurant. After Alice Waters tried his bread, Steve started baking for the restaurant. In 1983, Steve started The Acme Bread Company with his wife, Suzie. Acme’s bakers work with stone hearth European deck ovens and a 1930s Spanish brick oven. They bake hand-formed loaves and pastries in three production shifts, throughout the day and night.

Sourcing

Acme uses organic flour grown in California, Washington, Colorado, Utah, and Canada, and milled in Utah. Butter and milk are purchased from Challenge Dairy, which uses hormone-free milk from California farms. Acme uses mostly local, organic fruits and vegetables in their products.