News & Events at Wild Oats Bakery & Café

Wild Oats Bakery & Café Garners Second Small Business Award in Six Months

BRUNSWICK, ME, APRIL 9, 2008 - The Southern Midcoast Chamber of Commerce recognized Wild Oats Bakery & Café as Small Business of the year, just 6 months after the Brunswick business was awarded the Small Business Leadership Award from Working Together in October. Both awards commended Wild Oats for hiring and employing individuals with disabilities.

The Chamber of Commerce also uses financial strength, business growth and community involvement as criteria for their award. Wild Oats Bakery & Café was opened in 1991 with five employees. They now employ over 20 people, have doubled their retail space, and continue to grow through new product lines and expanding wholesale accounts. Becky Shepherd, who owns and runs the bakery with her husband David, has been on the local school board and library board, and is dedicated to donating both goods and services to the community.

On October 19th, 2007, Governor John Baldacci presented Wild Oats Bakery & Café with an award from Working Together, a group of businesses hoping to increase employment of people with disabilities. With the workforce in Maine and across the nation becoming older and closer to retirement, it becomes increasingly important to find new populations to tap into for employment. Wild Oats Bakery has worked with Brunswick-based Independence Association and several other organizations to bring in employees to work in a number of different positions. The accommodations that have been made for these employees are usually as simple as putting pictures on a list for an employee who cannot read, and enlarging the print on recipes for another man who has vision impairment.

Wild Oats Bakery & Café is a family owned, from-scratch bakery, café and deli serving homemade baked goods, breads, soups, salads, sandwiches, desserts and frozen dinner entrees. Located in the Tontine Mall in downtown Brunswick, Wild Oats Bakery & Café has been feeding the community since 1991.



Wild Oats Bakery & Café Recognized for Small Business Leadership in Employing People with Handicaps

HALLOWELL, ME, October 19, 2007 - Working Together, a group of businesses that is hoping to increase employment of people with disabilities, has awarded Wild Oats Bakery & Café of Brunswick with it's Small Business Leadership Award. Governor John Baldacci presented the award to Becky Shepherd, who with her husband David, owns Wild Oats Bakery & Café. Wild Oats was selected for this honor because of its 16 year history of employing people with disabilities.

With the workforce in Maine and across the nation becoming older and closer to retirement, it becomes increasingly important to find new populations to tap into for employment. There are as many disabilities as there are disabled people, and in many cases the accommodations that are needed to employ these creative, hard-working people are few and inexpensive. Disabled employees are loyal, hard-working and bring a new dimension to the workplace.

Wild Oats Bakery & Café has worked with Independence Association in Brunswick, as well as other organizations, to bring in employees to work a number of different positions. The accommodations that have been made for these employees are usually as simple as adding pictures to a list for an employee who cannot read, and enlarging the print on recipes for another man who has vision impairment.

Wild Oats Bakery & Café is a family owned, from-scratch bakery and deli serving homemade baked goods, breads, soups, salads, sandwiches, desserts and frozen dinner entrees. Located in the Tontine Mall in downtown Brunswick, Wild Oats Bakery & Café has been feeding the community since 1991.