Authentic and passionate describe Matt and Sheri Salis, owners of the downtown Denver Great Harvest. Matt says, "You've got to focus on the things you love". He lives up to that mantra.
Matt and Sheri were living in Ft Wayne, IN when they decided to go into business for themselves. Matt, with a marketing/business degree, worked for the steel business in sales and marketing. Sheri, with a culinary degree, worked in fancy restaurants. At one point along the way, Sheri had worked at the St. Paul, MN Great Harvest. Matt and Sheri fell in love with Great Harvest. Although they had not considered a franchise, the freedom aspect of Great Harvest attracted them. Other franchises they investigated were either too expensive or had too many controls. While Great Harvest seemed the logical choice, they decided they shouldn't just go with their first choice. They researched other options and came full circle back to Great Harvest. Long story short, they opted to purchase an existing bakery in Denver, CO. They loved Barry, the current and original owner of the Denver Great Harvest, and knew they would like Denver.
I asked Matt what he liked most about owning his own st
ore. Matt told me his Dad always got home late. As a result he missed their soccer games and a lot of the kids' lives growing up. Matt wanted a livelihood where he could spend time with his family. Both Matt and his wife, Sheri, work in the bakery and have three kids, plus one on the way. They really appreciate their flexible schedules to cover the bakery and home responsibilities between the two of them without the expense of daycare for the kids.
The people are a huge bonus of the work. Matt loves being able to reward employees on the spot, whether it's a simple "thank you," free dinner, or to send someone home with pay for the rest of the day for a mini holiday. Matt and Sheri are passionately behind what they do. They've chosen not to make white bread. In fact they don't use white flour in the bakery at all. While some may view it as a poor business decision, for Matt and Sheri, it's authentic. Their business reflects what they're passionate about. A sign in the store sums it up, "Crazy us - We believe the best way to reduce health care costs is to make healthy choices - Eat whole grains."
Matt notes he has a sarcastic sense of humor that may not resonate with everyone. He has a sign above his breadboard and cash register that says, "Mean person surcharge $5.00". Matt says the mean person sign is a win-win for him. If people are mean, they pay hi
m more. If someone is truly mean and gets offended, they may not come back. In reality, the sign gets a lot of chuckles from customers.
Matt says while the reality is always different than the dream, they are really happy with their decision to own the bakery. Sometimes it's stressful being a small business owner. There are times when the whole family needs to be at the store. Then there are other days when he can go home early. The day I interviewed him, he was scheduled to play Batman with his two boys. He told me he was not sure what all it entailed but has "something to do with wearing a mask."
Have any of you been to the Salis' bakery on Colorado Boulevard in Denver? Have you met Matt or Sheri? How was your experience?
