This popular downtown Kelowna bakery is back

For 16 years, Bread Co. has been a popular establishment on the bustling Bernard Avenue, serving gourmet sandwiches and artisan breads to locals and tourists alike.

However, the restaurant was forced to close for four months due to an unforeseen electrical fire in December.

The fire gradually burned a significant amount of plastic inside the restaurant, resulting in the contamination of the ceiling, food, and other areas of the bakery.

As a result, a laborious and meticulous restoration process was embarked upon. It required extensive cleaning, repainting, and replacement of damaged materials were necessary in order to resurrect Bread Co.

“It took a while. I mean, longer than I thought it was going to take,” co-owner Dan Bronswyk told Kelowna10. “When I first saw the damage, I thought, ‘oh, this would be three weeks, to a month we'll be back.’ But no, it didn't work out that way.”

The closing forced bread lovers yearning for the weekly or daily indulgence of the bakery's delectable pastries to venture towards the Pandosy location or seek solace in alternative venues.

The spot is notorious for its commitment to simplicity and wholesomeness, with the shop relying on a trifecta of ingredients - salt, water, and flour – for the foundation of many of their offerings.

After reopening earlier in May, the bakery bore witness to an astonishing resurgence in popularity within the fiercely competitive culinary landscape of Kelowna.

Bronswyk attributes this triumph to the commitment to quality that has forged a bond with a loyal and devoted following.

“The only way to keep a good reputation is to put out good food and have great service,” he explained. “When people are happy and they leave happy, they come back and they're coming back in droves now so we're really happy about that.”