Sweet Things Are Aswirl at 5 Generation Bakers
Photo by Sophia Fang
A beloved Pittsburgh classic for over 135 years, 5 Generation Bakers is the manufacturer of Jenny Lee Cinnamon Swirl Bread and other artisan baked products, made with the finest sustainably sourced ingredients.
Pittsburgh natives, the Baker family opened the doors to the first bakery in the family’s lineage in 1875. The Bakers baked for four generations until tragedy struck in 2006 with a Thanksgiving Day fire, causing significant damage to the facility. In 2008, Bernie Baker, the 4th generation baker, was forced to close the doors to Jenny Lee Bakery, leaving the Pittsburgh community without their much loved baked goods.
Bernie’s son, Scott Baker, decided he couldn’t let his family’s legacy die out, and in 2010, he founded 5 Generation Bakers. Now a multimillion dollar, international company, 5 Generation Bakers has stayed true to their coveted Jenny Lee Swirl Bread recipe, while expanding to a variety of baked goods: savory bread, artisan-style loaves, sandwich bread, and Chunky Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Baked in their state-of-the-art production facility in McKees Rocks, their products are available at 5,000+ locations across the U.S. and internationally.
Scott first learned of Honeycomb Credit through the Pittsburgh Food and Beverage Network(FaB), a peer network of artisan food businesses located in the Pittsburgh region. A number of FaB members had previously worked with Honeycomb to raise funds for growth projects, including Millie’s Ice Cream, Pittsburgh Pickle Company, and The Pittsburgh Juice Company.
Given 5 Generation Bakers’ dedication to giving back to the McKees Rocks and greater Pittsburgh communities, Scott was especially drawn to the community outreach aspect of crowdfinancing with Honeycomb.
“I talked to Chad of Millie’s Ice Cream and the brothers at Pittsburgh Pickle Company,” says Scott, “They were all really excited with what they were able to do with the dollars they raised through their Honeycomb campaign. I figured it should be something we look into as well.”