July 2011 was a bittersweet month for Kim Bell, co-owner with her husband, Tye, of the brand new Farmington, NM Great Harvest Bread Store. On July 15th, Kim had just completed her first week of on-site training and everything was in motion to open the store July 23rd. Her Mom had been in the bakery the day before and told Kim how beautiful the store was and how proud she was of her. The next day, her Mom passed away unexpectedly.
The store opening was postponed a week and when it opened July 29th, it was to throngs of happy and expectant customers. They’ve been going strong ever since. How Kim handled the stress is a tribute to her strength and her upbringing, and is no doubt continuing to make her Mom proud. Kim’s Dad stops by the store daily to check in on Kim, help with his grandchildren, TJ and Emily, and lend his support however he can.
I had the fortune to help Kim and Tye open their bakery in late July along with Franchise Trainer, Kelli, and owner/trainer, Chris Skalisky (Wenatchee, WA). Kim hired an awesome crew to launch the store. Their opening was busy, to say the least! Keeping up with the demand for the awesome fresh-made bread, sweets, and sandwiches proved challenging, but the crew did a great job. A month later, they continue to rock, sales are strong, and still, some things unexpectedly sell out early.
Being this busy is a wonderful problem (albeit a little overwhelming) for a small business owner. It’s not something that happens by accident. This startup was a great example of how success results when opportunity meets preparation. It’s easy to put the promo checklist on hold with the stress of opening a new business. But Kim and Tye followed the protocol and did all the marketing groundwork in getting their store open, and continue to get their products and their smiling faces out into the community to let people know they’re there.
It helps that they grew up in Farmington and have a lot of connections. After living in Albuquerque for five years, they fell in love with Great Harvest. That spurred them to apply for a Great Harvest when they returned to their home town. Tye sells commercial insurance and continues to work his job and help in the bakery as he can, while Kim takes the lead in the store. Tye has lots of connections with hundreds of customers in Farmington. Kim is outgoing and has all kinds of connections around town, both social and work-related. Her last job was driving a school bus! One of Tye’s friends told her, “Kim, everywhere I go, I run into people who know you, are you just really friendly or what?” Yes, she is that friendly, and it’s genuine. She quite obviously cares about her customers and her crew. You can feel it when you walk in the door.
Kim and Tye’s personalities are a perfect fit for the business. They love wonderful food, are great with people, hard workers and well-focused and organized. They had no idea how well those attributes would serve them! When I asked if I could write a blog about them, Kim didn’t feel they were doing anything that special. I beg to differ with her. They’ve taken the business and made it their own in an outstanding way in a short time. It is without any doubt, Kim and Tye’s Neighborhood Bakery!
If you get to Farmington, be sure to check out their store at 4009 E Main St. and let me know what you think.
Want to learn more about opening your own Great Harvest bakery? Watch our recorded Great Harvest webinar at your convenience.
