Reviewed by: Michael Seale
New owners, free bread at Great Harvest Bread Company
Reading time: 6 minutes

If youโre like me, Great Harvest Bread Company has been a little bit of a Huntsville mysteryโuntil today.
We sat down with the new owner of Great Harvest Bread Company to find out what Great Harvest is all about and the plans she and her family have for the business.
Hereโs five things to know.
1. The new owners took over in December

When Sarah Kaetterhenryโs husband was about to be out of the military, they started thinking about their next steps.
They considered moving to Montana (where Sarahโs from) or Texas (where her husband is from), but chose Huntsville. Unexpected, right? Sarah said it was very much so. But, they had a friend who convinced them, and they were excited about a church community here.
As they were in the process of moving here last year, they looked into buying a business and saw that Great Harvest was for sale. The previous owners had opened the location in 2018, but werenโt seeing it take off.
The opportunity was perfect. Great Harvest started in Montana, and Sarah can remember going there when she was growing up. She and her husband also thought it would be wonderful for their two little girls to grow up seeing how a business is run. They also loved how they could make it a hub for people to grow communities.
โGod just kind of dropped it in our lapโฆthis is the perfect opportunity that checks all the boxes.โ
Sarah Kaetterhenry, owner of Huntsvilleโs Great Harvest Bread Company
And they took that opportunity in December of last year. Since then, theyโve been working hard to revitalize Great Harvest.
2. They make their bread fresh + give out free slices


Since December, Sarah and her team of bakers have made a lot of bread. But first, it was just Sarah.
โFor the first while, I was doing all the baking, coming in at four every morning.โ
Sarah Kaetterhenry, owner of Huntsvilleโs Great Harvest Bread Company
Since that time, theyโve hired a wonderful staffโand Sarahโs happy that she no longer has to come in at four oโclock in the morning.
But, theyโre still committed to baking everything fresh, just like Sarah did in the beginning. They bake their breads fresh every single day, and they only sell bread from that day and the previous day.
To make the bread, they only use a handful of high-quality ingredients like bread you would bake at home. Sarah can easily name off all the base ingredients in their loavesโhoney, water, yeast, flour and salt. For their whole wheat bread, they use house-milled flour from wheat that grows in Montana.
They also make some fun, special breads by throwing in some extra ingredientsโfrom jalapeรฑos, cheddar cheese and garlic to cinnamon chips (I highly recommend the cinnamon chip bread).
Plus, you can get a free slice of bread just by walking in the doorโitโs the Great Harvest tradition.
3. Great Harvest goes beyond bread

But they donโt stop at bread. Theyโve got fresh-baked goodies behind the counter every dayโfrom cookies and brownies to bars and scones.
Thereโs also plenty of option on the cafe menu, which Sarah and her team have expanded since taking over. Theyโve got everything from toasts and breakfast sandwiches for the morning to BLTs and melts for lunch.
If youโre looking to get into sourdough baking, Great Harvest also sells sourdough starter, and itโs the same starter they use in their sourdough breadโno fake flavors here.
And if that wasnโt enough, they also do catering, which Sarah is hoping to grow in the future.
All of these breads, sandwiches and goodies are vehicles for their mission and vision for Great Harvest in Huntsville.
4. Itโs all about community

Sarah described the purpose beyond bread that fuels the new version of Great Harvest in Huntsville.
โWeโre Christians, so we want to use our business to spread the gospel and glorify God.โ
Sarah Kaetterhenry, owner of Huntsvilleโs Great Harvest Bread Company
But, Sarah explained that she wants to accomplish that by having a well-run business that is a top-notch experience for both the staff and the customers.
โThe best way we can glorify God through this is by having the best bakery and cafe in the area.โ
Sarah Kaetterhenry, owner of Huntsvilleโs Great Harvest Bread Company
She and her family enjoy being a part of the Huntsville community, and love that โthereโs so many smart people doing really cool things.โ
Theyโve already โhad lots of opportunities to foster community,โ including working with Manna House. They give Manna House their extra bread, and get their lettuce for their sandwiches from Manna Houseโs hydroponic garden.
They hope to continue building that sense of community at Great harvest, especially during and after their grand re-opening.
5. Theyโre having a grand re-opening

Sarah and the rest of the team have been working hard to revitalize Great Harvest, and theyโre almost ready to celebrate.
Their grand re-opening will run for a whole week, April 10-15, during which theyโll be donating 10% of sales to a different nonprofit each day.
- Monday, April 10: Hawthorne Conservatory
- Tuesday, April 11: Providence Classical School
- Wednesday, April 12: Rocket City Rescue
- Thursday, April 13: Farmhouse Midwifery
- Friday, April 14: Homeschool Community
- Saturday, April 15: Manna House
Each day, customers can experience new breads, choose a free goodie, grab a sandwich and meet the ownersโall while supporting local nonprofits.
But, if youโre already craving some fresh bread, Great Harvestโs doors are open. Hereโs where you can find them.
- Location: 933 Bob Wallace Ave SW Suite 215, Huntsville, AL 35801
- Hours: Monday-Friday 7AM-3PM, Saturday 10AM-3PM, closed Sunday
- Website | Facebook | Instagram
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