Wildflower Bread Company Returns For Second Kitchen Takeover
We were thrilled to 'hand over the reins' of our kitchen duties earlier this week as local restaurant chain, Wildflower Bread Company, returned for another Kitchen Takeover during our Family Evening Meal.
Known as Breadheads, Wildflower’s general managers, line cooks, servers and support staff transformed our family dining room into its newest restaurant. The menu, prepared exclusively for the takeover, included artisan bread and cornbread, barbecue baby back ribs, comfort food side dishes and handmade ice cream sandwiches. In addition to the meal, Wildflower Bread handed out bags of free bread to guests before they left and raffled off prizes during the meal.
Founder and President of Wildflower Bread Company, Louis Basile, attended the event and made his way around the dining room helping where needed and spending quality time with guests.
"We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take over the St. Vincent de Paul kitchen and serve families in need for the second year in a row,” said Louis. “We believe it’s our responsibility to give back to our community. It’s part of our purpose, values and it makes up our DNA which is the heart and soul of Wildflower."
Similar to previous Kitchen Takeovers, families were unaware of the special meal that awaited them.
“The meal was so delicious and the kids were so excited. They got to try new dishes that they normally wouldn’t be able to try at home. We were so surprised when we walked in,” says Rachel Mata, an SVdP guest who brings her grandchildren to the family evening meal every day.
This event is just one of many ways Wildflower Bread gives back to the community. The Kitchen Takeover is part of their two-week community giving campaign called Wildflower Cares, running through Sept. 26. Partnering with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry, Wildflower is working toward its goal of raising $45,000 which will provide 450,000 meals for children in need!
Lauren Baldassare, general manager of Wildflower Bread’s Deer Valley location, says she feels incredibly lucky to work for an organization that cares about giving back.
“I’ve worked for Wildflower for six years now, and every year I feel like I’m part of a bigger picture in being a part of the community. This experience has been incredibly impactful in my life; it’s really powerful,” she says.
We are grateful and inspired by the incredible team and compassion of Wildflower Bread Company and thank them for giving SVdP families a unique dining experience. We hope their example will inspire more restaurants of all sizes to join us for future Kitchen Takeovers in our Family Dining Room!
