Grand Central Bakery
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bakery |
| Founded | 1989 in Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Founder | Gwyneth Bassetti |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington , United States |
Area served | Pacific Northwest, United States |
Key people | Claire Randall (CEO), Mel Darbyshire (Lead Baker) |
| Products | Artisan bread and baked goods |
Number of employees | 370 |
Grand Central Baking Company (operating as Grand Central Bakery) is a privately owned bakery chain in the United States, featuring 12 outlets situated in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. Originally established as The Bakery within Seattle's Grand Central Hotel, it was subsequently rebranded as Grand Central Bakery. The enterprise is recognized for its handcrafted artisan bread products.
History
The inception of Grand Central dates back to 1989 when Gwyneth Bassetti launched it in Seattle, playing a pivotal role in initiating the artisan bread trend in the region. In 1993, her son inaugurated the first branch in Portland along SE Hawthorne Boulevard. Over time, the business expanded to employ approximately 370 staff members. Presently, Grand Central runs 12 café locations along with two wholesale bakeries spread throughout Portland and Seattle, distributing baked goods to a wide range of Pacific Northwest retail outlets.
Claire Randall has held the position of CEO since June 2018. Mel Darbyshire serves as the lead baker, managing bread production operations across both metropolitan areas. In May 2022, to safeguard its mission and maintain autonomy indefinitely, Grand Central revealed intentions to form a perpetual purpose trust. This ownership model shifts governance from family members and long-serving employees to the trust itself, ensuring preservation of the company’s ethos and culture while protecting it from potential future acquisitions.
Locations
Within greater Seattle, Grand Central maintains four café-bakery locations situated in Eastlake, Wedgwood, Wallingford, and Burien neighborhoods. In Portland, its presence includes shops in Hawthorne, Woodstock, Beaumont Village, Multnomah Village, Sellwood, Mississippi districts, as well as Cedar Mill and Hillsboro. The Portland wholesale bakery became unionized under the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) Local 114 in 2019. Following this development, the company and union successfully negotiated two labor agreements in 2020 and 2021.