The BREAD Story
BREAD Innovation Lab began as an unlikely collaboration between two long time friends and radically different business professionals.
With Kathleen, a NYC social do-gooder and Jason, a rural NH restaurant owner; there wasn't much professional overlap until 2018. After 4 years of work at Jack's Pizza in Pittsfield, NH they've learned that it's partnerships like theirs that have the power to resurrect struggling rural communities and the restaurant industry at large.
Starting at Jason's pint sized pizza shop, in a tiny town of 4,000 people, BREAD's first pilot began one worker at a time. After a mountain of meetings, workshops and 1-on-1 conversations; they've come to understand that the math in the restaurant industry just doesn't add up. It doesn't add up to secure, stable and sustainable revenue for the owners and it certainly doesn't add up to anything worth sticking around for for overworked and under-appreciated food service workers.
Restaurants Need Support
The Time is Now
As an entry level industry and 1st job opportunity for over 50% of Americans, restaurants have a unique opportunity and responsibility to create a workplace that propels people forward. At Jack's Pizza we listened, took responsibility and responded to the needs of the workers by turning to the larger community. Before, during and after the Pandemic, we used our position as an established 16 year business to funnel vital resources to food service workers when they needed them most.
Together, we've introduced program after program ranging from mental health and nutrition support to new in-store tech and governance structures. The many changes we've made at Jack's Pizza successfully brought many of our team members and Jack's Pizza to the next level as a whole. At BREAD Innovation Lab, the line up of services we offer reflect the hard earned lessons and changes we've implemented and continue to tinker with at Jack's.
Our mission with BREAD is to bring vital resources, support systems and programs to other restaurants like Jack's Pizza.
