Grateful Bread, Baking Company and Cafe
7001 35th Ave. NE
Seattle, Washington 98115
Tel: 206-525-3166
I am a beverage-driven man: coffee fuels me up for takeoff,
and beer brings me in for the landing. In my neck of the woods --
Wedgwood, we call it -- there's no better place to spend the first
half of the day than Grateful Bread. Here we have a place which
is equal parts bakery, cafe, and community hangout.
Bread is really the forte of the place. Rod Neldam, co-owner
and co-founder of Grateful Bread, is the
son and grandson of bakers. He and his wife,
Judy Neldam opened for business in 1996. No surprise, but the
store's name is inspired by Jerry Garcia's little band, Grateful Dead,
a tribute from the Neldams who grew up in San Francisco.
Their bread is great, but I'm usually at the Grateful Bread for
a cup o' joe and a comfortable parking space for my rear end.
The refills are $0.25 and the wireless internet access is free.
The patrons are local to the neighborhood and reflect the quiet
nature and liberal leanings of Wedgwood.
The storefront is windowed, facing south toward NE 70th St -- Grateful
Bread is on the corner. A large deli-case stands on the right, encasing
cookies, muffins, danishes, and more. Various
loaves of bread sit in baskets behind the cash register. The dozen
tables sit to the right, large tables comfortable for chatting, eating,
and spreading out some work. In the far corner there are soft
sofas which create a nice area to sit with your kids. Walking into
Grateful Bread feels very comfortable, like sitting down in a
communal kitchen.
Some details provided in the Puget Sound Business Journal,
5 November 2004.