Cathy Dobson
John Dattolo says a combination of his fresh baked desserts and Lanthier breads is the recipe for success at his new bakery.
He and wife Kelly opened Dattolo’s Baked Goods on Confederation Street in mid September and say Lanthier’s bread, buns, pitas and croissants keep customer traffic steady.
But the sweet treats are where the profits lie.
“So we offer both because not everyone is going to buy desserts all the time,” said Dattolo. “You need the bread too if you want to be busy.”
After just six weeks, customers are already cashing in on loyalty cards that provide a free loaf of bread or dessert after 10 purchases. That’s a sign the bakery is catching on, Dattolo said.
He is the only retail outlet for Lanthier breads in Sarnia. Lanthier is a family-owned business based in Alexandria, Ont. that’s been baking bread for three generations. You have to taste it to believe it, Dattolo said.
“Their secret is that they bake with milk, not water, and they let the bread rise for 48 hours,” he said. “No one else does that.”
Two to three times a week Lanthier delivers a variety of fresh breads to Dattolo’s.
Everything from raisin bread, sourdough, nine grain and Italian style to light whole wheat, flax seed, gluten-free and super-moist white, fill about two-thirds of the shop.
Dattolo, who lives in London but hopes to move here soon, said he became sold on the bread while operating a stall at Trails End Farmers Market in London last winter. The produce store he’d been working at shut down and Dattolo decided to sell bread and his own baked goods at the market on Saturdays.
“I found I could sell 700 loaves and 300 desserts in one day,” he said. When he saw that kind of volume, he approached Lanthier and company officials told him they needed an outlet in Tillsonburg, Windsor or Sarnia.
The Dattolos chose Sarnia primarily because they feel welcome here, he said.
“Everybody is super friendly. The rent is no different than in Windsor but everyone we’ve met in Sarnia makes us feel like this was the right move.”
So, with no previous ties to the community, the couple equipped a kitchen in the back of the shop to bake daily. Nearly two dozen different kinds of Dattolo’s tarts, cookies, squares and bars fill the display cases. They sell for $1.50 to $2 each.
Most Lanthier bread is priced at $2.25 and $2.50 a loaf. Dattolo’s also sells La Fournée dorée breads imported from France that sell for $2 to $3 more.
Dattolo’s Baked Goods is located at 1030 Confederation St. (Davey Jones plaza) and is open Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Call 519-336-1991.
Got an interesting business story? Contact Cathy Dobson at [email protected] or 226-932-0985.