Canadian Bakin’—the creation, the carbs and the community

What used to be one of Huntsville’s many German restaurants became a beloved bakery in 2020.

Matt and Daniela are the faces behind Canadian Bakin’, and we got to hear from Daniela about what their little bakery is all about.

Keep reading to find out how Canadian Bakin’ got started and what it has become today—including some fun facts we bet you didn’t know!

The creation

The story began with a desk job. No, Matt wasn’t making bagels at his desk, but he was getting a bit tired of his desk job working for a government contractor. He was looking for a change—something that he could create with his hands.

That change came in the form of baking. He started baking at home as a simple hobby—but you can guess how that turned out.

Matt loved baking so much that he started selling his carby creations. Back in 2017, you could find his bagels and pretzels at local markets, like the Greene Street Market and Lowe Mill markets.

But it kept growing, and Matt started wholesaling his baked goods online. Here’s where Daniela comes in.

In the beginning of 2018, Matt needed some photos, and he asked his friend Daniela who could do it. Turns out, she could!

With a background in social media managment and marketing, Daniela started taking over the community relations side of things while Matt was busy with recipe development and baking. Soon after, Daniela got involved in the business, she and Matt started dating.

Fast-forward to 2020. Matt and Daniela are now a husband-and-wife team and they have a brick-and-mortar location. The beloved little Church Street bakery opened in March of 2020, and has been Huntsville’s go-to for bagels and breads since.

The carbs

Canadian Bakin’ runs on carbs (and coffee). The front window exclaims, “EAT BREAD,” and the merch they sell includes a t-shirt with the words, “Body by Carbs,” and their cute “carbivore” mugs.

Needless to say, the bread is center-stage here.

The Canadian Bakin’ favorite is the Q-Becco, a sandwich (or “sando” as Canadian Bakin’ calls it). It’s got bacon, egg, cheddar cheese and caremelized onion on a bagel, sourdough or brioche. Daniela recommends getting it on the everything bagel—I’ll happily follow that advice.

While we’re talking favorites, let’s hear Matt and Daniela’s. Matt’s favorite is the sourdough bread. Daniela’s favorite is a little more complicated because…she’s gluten intolerant. So, she often opts for the ever-popular miel latte, a latte with honey and cinnamon.

But even more than the carbs and the coffee, Matt and Daniela are all about the community.

The community

Their favorite part of Canadian Bakin’ is the community. The people that work alongside Matt and Daniela are an incredible team.

“Everybody who comes through here is creative, funny and hard-working.”

Daniela

Matt and Daniela love seeing what makes each of their employees thrive and encourage their personal growth. Their lead baker started with Canadian Bakin’ from day one, and she didn’t have much baking experience when she did. Now, she’s their lead baker. The same thing happened with their line leader, Tori. She had never worked in food service and quickly became the manager of Canadian Bakin’s line prep.

The team morale that the Canadian Bakin’ staff has is incredible, and their energy is contagious. Daniela described how the Huntsville community’s reaction has encouraged them.

“People are so supportive and enthusiastic about what we’ve created.”

Daniela

What they’ve created is a place where people can come and have some incredible carbs. But not only that, it’s a place where people can connect with others.

“We’ve created something that people love—we want to continue to create a space where people can bond with friends.”

Daniela

And that’s what you’ll find inside. People meeting for coffee, a bagel or a sando on Church Street, or just stopping by to grab a loaf and chat with the friendly front-of-house staff. Daniela said that seeing those interactions are really sweet and those moments are what make it worth it.

Ready to grab a loaf yourself? Let’s go!

Where you can find them

Canadian Bakin’ is a cozy spot downtown. And here’s a fun little story about that spot. Matt and Daniela saw the location and told their real estate agent that they wanted to know if it ever came available.

The next day, the land lord called him to tell him it was.

Boy are we glad. We couldn’t imagine a more perfect place to nosh on bagels here in Huntsville! Here’s where you can do just that.

• Location: 501 Church St NW Suite A, Huntsville, AL 35801
• Hours: Wednesday-Friday 7AM-2PM, Saturday-Sunday 8AM-2PM (closed Monday and Tuesday)
• Website | Facebook | Instagram

BONUS: Canadian Bakin’ has made its way into several of our guides! Check them out in 5 of Huntsville’s best spots for coffee and 7 cute bakeries in Huntsville.

Have you ever been to Canadian Bakin’? Let us know on social media by tagging us @hvilleblast or by using our hashtag #hvilleblast.