LANCASTER, PA. — Lancaster Food Co., a baker of organic bread, expects to resume operations this week after raising $500,000 from nine investors who bought an undisclosed percentage of the company.
The company shut down late last year after losing an investment of $250,000. The company then set up a GoFundMe page.
“Thank you for all of your support,” Lancaster Food Co. said in a Jan. 14 Facebook post. “We’re so grateful for all of you for your kind words of encouragement and your belief in us. It’s been a challenging eight weeks, and you helped inspire us to keep going.”
Bread should be available in the Lancaster area later in the week of Jan. 14-20 and in other stores in Pennsylvania the next week. The online store should launch the week of Jan. 14-20.
“We will not be available (in) Maryland, D.C. or Virginia stores initially, but we do expect to be back in some of those stores through our distributor programs in the coming months,” the Facebook post said.
Charlie Crystle, chief executive officer, and Craig Lauer, chief product officer, founded Lancaster Food in 2014. Mr. Lauer’s wife, Polly Lauer, is chief operating officer.
The company founders wanted to impact the city of Lancaster, which had a poverty rate of 30%. All employees receive at least $15 an hour. All the food is certified organic through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program.