By Hannah Caver, For The Tribune
TRUSSVILLE — Great Harvest Bread Company in Trussville announced on Sunday, September 26, 2021 that they are closing and will try to sell the franchise. The last day Great Harvest Bread Company will be open under David and Jennifer Snyder is December 24 2021.
The Snyders are sad to let go of something they put everything into, but they are hopeful to see what someone else has in store for Great Harvest. David described how the restaurant was a “turnkey” with everything that the next owner would need and more.
“We actually do have somebody that’s incredibly viable that’s interested in it already, and I do think it will sale, I do think it will continue on,” Jennifer Snyder said.
After the Snyders visited a Great Harvest in Alaska, Jennifer immediately knew this was something they needed all time. Still, there was nothing like it back home, and daily trips to Alaska did not seem reasonable. The Snyder’s needed to bring Great Harvest back on with them, so they sat down with the company, and a plan was created for a Great Harvest in Trussville.
Great Harvest Bread Company is a “Freedom Franchise,” meaning that while the recipes and processes that Great Harvest has continuously improved for over three decades are the same, the look and feel of each Great Harvest Bread Company is entirely different from the other.
“You get to wrap yourself around your community, and you make the products, and you do the things that fit your community,” Jennifer Snyder said. “So we enjoyed that freedom to be able to do that, and ours looks completely different from everybody else’s.”
The choice to sell was not a decision they took lightly, and it was the best option for Great Harvest and their family. Jennifer explained that she could no longer put as much time into the business, and David had come out of retirement to help his former company respond to COVID-19 demands and shortages.
The Snyders have overcome several boundaries in their paths in the last year, such as the lack of product, increased prices, and staffing shortages. However, time is the boundary that keeps fighting back. So while the decision was the hardest one they had to make and brought tears to their eyes, the positive words from the community are what keeps the smiles on their faces.
“As heartbreaking as it is, it’s the right decision for our family,” David Snyder said. “It’s the right decision for Great Harvest as a whole.”
As the Snyders get closer to saying goodbye and moving forward in their lives, they take with them all the memories that transpired in their establishment. From delivering food to families during the pandemic to tires changes in the parking, David and Jennifer know that Great Harvest is something they will never forget.
“It’s a sad thing,” David Snyder said. “But we’re very thankful for the opportunities that we’ve been given the ability to have the footprint in the community that we were able to establish.”
The couple is thankful to the community for allowing them to grow for the last three years, and the Snyders want everyone to know that every friendship they have made will continue.