Athens Bread Company is a local bakery owned by bread baker Tim McKenna and his wife Devon Halliday. Our passion is handcrafting fundamental breads and pastries using traditional techniques.

Our products are made from ingredients as local as we can get them, and our methods are constantly evolving towards greater consistency, sustainability, and deliciousness. The recipes we use are the product of years of trial, error, and experimentation. Everything in our bakery is shaped, chopped, weighed, sprinkled, crumbled, sliced and rolled by hand.

We believe that good baking is a mix of art and science, craft and chemistry. We bring everything we’ve got to the making of our products. We hope you can taste the difference.

Athens Bread Company was founded by Doug Wistendahl in 2014. Previously a lawyer in New York City, Doug brought his love of baking back to Athens and ran the shop until his retirement in 2021. Tim McKenna is now head baker and owner, and carries on the tradition of offering artisanal breads at accessible prices.

Tim’s interest in food began at home in the kitchen, a passion that quickly turned professional when he joined New York City butcher shop Hudson & Charles. He concluded his training there as a butcher (his sausages got a write-up in the New Yorker!), and from meat he turned to bread. He discovered his calling as a baker at the popular Saraghina Bakery in Brooklyn.

An OU grad, Tim was happy to come home to Athens when the pandemic struck, and he has been working at Athens Bread Company since 2020—first at the counter, then as head baker, and now as owner and manager too. If you’ve been to ABC, you’ve likely said hello to Tim, whether he’s in the back covered in flour or up at the front asking you about your day.

Athens Bread Company is currently on hiatus—we plan to reopen in May 2024. We are grateful for all the love and support from the community in the aftermath of our closure, and we look forward to serving you again soon.

Community Engagement

We believe in sustainable baking practices and reducing waste.

Every week we donate our extra loaves and pastries to United Campus Ministry, and we’re always working to source more local ingredients and strengthen ties within the community. We use Snowville milk, Laurel Valley cheeses, High Bottom Farm eggs, and Honey Run Farms honey in many of our products; we’ve supplied various local restaurants and cafés with our bread and pastries. If you’re interested in partnering with Athens Bread Company, stop by our shop or shoot Tim an email: tim@athensbreadcompany.com