The first thing you notice when you walk into Bob’s
Well Bread is the warmth that radiates throughout
the space. It goes beyond the cozy wooden
accents, the sun streaming in through the windows,
and the homemade pastries on display. It’s a feeling
that floods the entirety of the shop. People laugh on
the shaded patio. Workers chatter behind the exquisite
marble countertops. At the center of it all is Bob Oswaks,
the founder, at the register greeting each person with
a wide, contagious smile. He hugs regulars. He suggests
menu items to newcomers. He scans the room constantly,
monitoring who comes in the door and what comes out
of the kitchen. You can tell this venture is his entire heart,
and he’s the pulse that keeps it going.
In this digital world full of impersonal interactions,
Bob’s Well Bread feels like a vacation to a different place
entirely. Here, people ask you how you’re doing—and
they genuinely want to know your answer. Customers
greet Oswaks by name. Workers laugh with each other
throughout the day. A steady stream of people enter
through the glass doors, smiles stretched across their
faces. Gorgeous roses line the tables outside. Mellow
music floats over the seating area, leaving room for
conversation (or for silence while you gobble down the
delicious food). It’s an escape, a true experience, which is
exactly what Oswaks envisioned when he set out on this
endeavor 10 years ago.
Oswaks didn’t grow up dreaming of being a baker. He
was an ultra-successful marketing executive in the
entertainment industry, building his career for over 30
years. His work brought him overseas to London, where
he spent time traveling to France with his family. Then,
he came back and had a conversation with a colleague
that changed his life forever. “He said, ‘Something's over.
Find your next.’ Meaning find your next passion, find
what's next for you in life,” Oswaks says. “That's a bitter
pill to swallow when you've done something your whole
life, and you think that's what you're destined to do.”