“I love being a baker...”
“I love the idea of getting up and being the first one in the kitchen — turning on the lights, firing up the ovens. The quiet, the calm, the day’s orders waiting for their flour and yeast. There’s something soul-satisfying about providing for a base need — something about contributing, in a subtle way, to the daily and weekly routines of my customers.” says Brandon Ziegler owner of Zig’s Bakery & Café.
Creating From Scratch
“I love to create.” says Brandon when asked about his favorite part of being a baker. The chance to express his creative energy through wholesome sweet and savory recipes is a dream-come-true kind of job. And the fact that those creations can benefit others makes it an even sweeter deal. “The opportunity to be a part of people’s daily story is just awesome.”
In high school, Brandon was first awakened to the power of creativity through art when an art teacher took an interest in helping him grow his abilities. This lead to Brandon choosing an Art Education major during his college years. As he progressed, he realized through his student teaching experiences, that the classroom setting wasn’t his cup of tea.
That summer, he interned at a Bakery in Philadelphia, near his school. His moment of epiphany had come. This experience was where his love of creativity, business and his experiences with his parent’s catering company all converged. From that moment, Brandon knew he wanted to open a bakery.
A few years later, Brandon purchased Minnich’s Bakery in Lititz. He gradually grew their customer base and raised awareness of the newly re-named “Zig’s Bakery” by opening stands at both the Lancaster Central and Lebanon Farmer’s markets.
The Recipe of Life
People are all rushing around to achieve their goals — to scratch things off their list — building their life from those little scratches and check marks. Often, they overlook the nuanced detail and importance of the individual ingredients that make up the recipe of the life they are building.
This is the beautiful reality of the baker’s work — daily being reminded that life is a concoction of wonderfully delicious little elements that mix together to make something amazing. A baker understands living life from scratch.
Taking what seems insignificant or unimportant and combining it together with other dissimilar bits and pieces to produce a new ingeniously delightful creation is the foundation of the from scratch mentality.
From scratch is about a holistic approach to a wholesome outcome.
“This is the basic premise of the Zig’s brand. We use locally sourced, healthy ingredients, mixed together to bring our customers the delicious and satisfying foods that keep them motivated and feeling positive about their day.”
A New Beginning
In 2015, Zig’s Bakery & Café moved into their flagship location at the beautifully renovated “Brick Gables” in Lititz. They have become a staple of the surrounding neighborhoods and even the county at large as folks stop in for their morning coffee and a featured bakery item.
Zig’s has grown into a fixture in the local community, keeping the doors open for all who may need a pick-me-up or just a place to sit and relax. The Zig’s story is only just beginning as they explore new ideas for serving their loyal customers.