HOUSTON — Bread Man Baking Co., a wholesale bakery specializing in hand-crafted naturally-leavened artisan bread, is set to move into a significantly larger facility this summer. The new plant will be 40,800 square feet, which compares with its current location that encompasses 4,753 square feet.

Bread Man Baking said the new space will be designed to service more than 500 wholesale customers and expand retail products, including fresh and frozen offerings. New production lines will include automated slicing and packaging and a burger bun/roll line that will triple production to 9,000 units per hour. In addition, a 6,000-square-foot freezer will accommodate greater state-wide, regional and national distribution, the company said.

The expansion reflects “600% year-over-year growth over the past 2.5 years with 64% in 2020 alone during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bread Man Baking said.

Last fall, Bread Man partnered with Whole Foods Market to broaden its distribution area. Under the agreement, Whole Foods agreed to sell four seasonal Bread Man baked foods at 48 locations across Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Bread Man’s products also are sold at H-E-B stores, restaurants and hotels in the Houston area.

To help with the growth of its foodservice business, Bread Man has hired Jessica DeSham Timmons as foodservice sales manager. Ms. Timmons will work closely with the company’s chefs and hospitality customers to create a program that will complement their menu offerings. Prior to joining the Bread Man she was chef/partner of Cherry Block Craft Butcher and Kitchen. Ms. Timmons also has worked as corporate operations manager at Landry’s, Inc., president of The Republic Country Club, partner at The Caboose BBQ and owner/chef of Camellia Monday Consulting.

“I’ve spent decades in the Houston restaurant industry in corporate and small business settings,” Ms. Timmons said. “I’ll be building a program that will serve our chefs and partners from start to finish while enhancing their menu offerings. I’m thrilled to be on this side of the bread box and part of a business I’ve believed in and supported.”

Ms. Timmons is joined on staff by Drew Gimma, who was named director of operations at Bread Man in November 2020. Prior to Bread Man he was co-chef at restaurant Squable and also helped launch Better Luck Tomorrow. Earlier in his career he was head baker at Common Bond and sous chef at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon and Per Se.

Bread Man Baking was founded in 2019 by Tasos Katsaounis. Along with the facility expansion Bread Man Baking has partnered with local design firm Primer Grey, who transformed a long-standing vision into a refreshed brand by weaving in Greek heritage and tradition.

“Tasos had a clear business vision while remaining true to the real reason he launched the brand,” said Cliff Raymond, principal of Primer Grey. “We kept the focus on acknowledging and respecting the family history the brand is so deeply rooted in while providing a more culturally-focused yet modern look with extensibility for future growth.”