# Firebrand Artisan Breads

> Firebrand Artisan Breads is an Oakland-founded, Alameda-based wood-fired bakery that describes itself as a jobs program that happens to sell bread. Founded in 2008 by Matt Kreutz, it wholesales artisan breads and pastries to hundreds of Bay Area retailers - including Whole Foods - and runs a direct retail cafe. Its defining feature is an Open Hiring model that prioritizes people with high barriers to employment (formerly incarcerated, formerly homeless), paired with a perpetual purpose trust that locks the mission in permanently and shares profits with workers.

- **Founded:** 2008
- **Headquarters:** Alameda, California, United States
- **Founders:** Matt Kreutz (Founder & CEO)
- **Team size:** ~19-55 employees (has fluctuated with expansion and the 2024 Oakland closure; grew to ~55 by 2017)
- **Products:** Wood-fired artisan breads, Artisan pastries, Wholesale (B2B) program, Retail cafe & bakery, Worker Resource Center
- **Notable:** Named by Fortune as one of the most recognized bakeries in the Bay Area., Converted to a perpetual purpose trust in 2021, with founder Matt Kreutz donating 51% of voting shares so the mission can never be sold., Built a workforce that is roughly 80% formerly incarcerated or formerly homeless individuals.

## Products & services

- **Wood-fired artisan breads** — Sourdough, wholegrain and rustic loaves baked in a wood-fired brick oven, sold wholesale and retail.
- **Artisan pastries** — Croissants, morning buns, challah, pretzels, muffins and scones.
- **Wholesale (B2B) program** — Supplies hundreds of Bay Area retail partners, restaurants and grocers including multiple Whole Foods locations.
- **Retail cafe & bakery** — Direct-to-consumer cafe in Alameda serving bread, pastries and coffee.
- **Worker Resource Center** — On-site services for employees: legal aid, ESL, GED prep, computer lab and life-skills training, in partnership with Five Keys Charter.

## Achievements

- Named by Fortune as one of the most recognized bakeries in the Bay Area.
- Converted to a perpetual purpose trust in 2021, with founder Matt Kreutz donating 51% of voting shares so the mission can never be sold.
- Built a workforce that is roughly 80% formerly incarcerated or formerly homeless individuals.
- Grew from four employees in a West Oakland warehouse (2008) to a multi-location operation serving hundreds of retail partners.
- Opened an Alameda bakery, cafe and Worker Resource Center in 2023.
- Featured in Reasons to be Cheerful, Next City and Perishable News as 'the bakery that's owned by an idea.'

## Latest updates

- **2024-12** — Closed its original Uptown Oakland cafe to focus resources on the year-old Alameda bakery and cafe.
- **2023-06** — Opened a new bakery, cafe and Worker Resource Center in Alameda.
- **2021-08** — Completed conversion to a perpetual purpose trust, locking the social mission into the ownership structure.

## Links

- Website: https://firebrandbread.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/firebrand-artisan-breads-60701408
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firebrandbread
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firebrandbread/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/firebrandbread

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/firebrand-artisan-breads
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-12