(light happy music) - So, I'm Nate Hogue.

This is Brake Bread.

We're a bike-based bakery here in Saint Paul.

We specialize in naturally leavened breads.

And in addition to our retail space, how we started and what we continue to do is home-based delivery by bicycle.

So people sign up and get a fresh loaf of bread delivered by bike to their home every week.

I think that's the power of food, to help people both remember who they are and to connect with each other.

And so to be a small part of that is, like, such an incredible honor.

I love that I get to say that's part of my job.

(whooshing) So, we're a CSB, a community-supported bakery.

So deliveries leave here around 11:00, 11:30.

Usually the first drop-off (rattling) starts around noon.

But we say 1:00, just 'cause, ya know, you never know.

(laughing) (upbeat mystic dance music) It's about 10 o'clock, and the bread coming out of the oven right now is what'll be packaged up and delivered.

It's about as fresh as bread can get to you if you're not doin' it yourself.

You can subscribe for a specific bread.

Or you can subscribe for just bread, and then we rotate through six to eight different breads.

And we just go through those.

And then you can also, like, customize your order too.

We think about sustainability (murmuring) as not just what allows us to open up tomorrow, but what allows us to open for the tomorrow, after tomorrow, after tomorrow, after tomorrow.

And so there's always a matter of balance in that.

We use some flour that's commercially available at a lower cost so that we can afford to also buy flour that's grown in Minnesota and milled in Minnesota, and use.

So it might be $15 for a bag of flour, and it might be $49 for a bag of flour, and those things balance each other out.

We wanna make the steps towards sustainability, towards closing the gap between the farmer, and the miller, and the baker, and the neighbor.

And so we're taking steps towards that.

We started with bikes not just for the sustainability, but because that's what we could afford.

(chuckling) Bikes are a natural community builder.

(light funky music) There's no barrier between you and the person at the stop sign, so you talk to your neighbors.

I joke, too, that, like, even if bikes weren't good for the environment, we'd probably do it anyways just 'cause we love bikes.

(laughing) So it's also just keeping it joyful and fun.

Lots of us use Amazon, and online ordering, and stuff, and enjoy that convenience, but have a little tinge of guilt every time a box shows up within two other boxes and all the packaging that goes with it.

And when you see something show up on a bicycle and it's in compostable, recyclable packaging, and you can wave to Adam who delivered it, 'cause he lives down the street from you, I mean, that's what you wanna see 10 years from now.

You wanna see bicycles, and you wanna see walking, and you wanna know your neighbor's name.

You know, sometimes when you're out on a bike, you get honked at, or yelled at, or whatever.

And it happens to us quite a bit, because people are sayin' "We love your bakery!

"Hey, we get your bread!"

Or they wave and be like "Hey, Nate!"

or whatever.

You know, so you're just connected.

So, we have lots of folks in the neighborhood that are within walking distance, or we're part of their commute in the morning, that come in.

As far as subscribers, we have kind of three delivery areas.

So Tuesday we're more up Highland Park, Wednesdays we're in the West 7th corridor into Lowertown, and then on Thursdays we're more like Mac-Groveland, Union Park, up the hill there.

The bikes have worked out really, really well.

We haven't had any, had a couple, like, we had a chain break once.

That's a beast.

Two weeks ago we had three flat tires in a week, which we haven't had in forever.

So winter, the biggest thing is ice.

You know, the weather is cold, but you can dress for it.

With our trailer, it's like, if I'm delivering, I'll have an extra bin just to adjust layers.

So it's like a little mini wardrobe in there that I can be like "Oh, I need this jacket," or whatever.

Part of the sustainable is that we don't die.

- [Woman] Great!

- So that way we can.

(laughing) So anyway, (murmuring) so our priority is always the safety of the rider.

And so if it's icy out, we can get around fine on a bike.

But alotta times you'll see cars sliding.

And so at that point, we'll move to, (humming) I think we've done like five or six deliveries in the last four years by car.

And they've all been in the interest of rider safety.

But it is pretty amazing, I mean, the thousands of loaves of bread that have been delivered by bicycle year-round.

It's way more doable than people realize.

I think that the way that technology is moving, and city infrastructure, and awareness of how much a city can hold, I think that we're gonna see more and more sustainable delivery.

And I think we're on the right path of how to do deliveries and move about in a community in a way that supports the well-being of the community.