Breadboard Bakery: How Social Distancing Became The Business Plan

ARLINGTON, MA — As the state put restrictions on the food service industry and encouraged residents to stay inside to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Daisy Chow knew it couldn't be business as usual at her bakery. Chow, owner of Breadboard Bakery in Arlington, shut down for a few days as she developed a new business model – one that didn't rely on the sight and smell of her renowned Danish rye.

Chow reopened over the weekend with a business plan that incorporates elements of social distancing, which health officials say is one of the most effective measures of preventing the transmission of the coronavirus. She is operating on a limited menu and has customers email their orders ahead of time, making sure they do not touch many surfaces and maintain a safe distance from each other.

Orders are pre-bagged, and Breadboard set up a table at the door to act as a landing pad for payment if customers have not prepaid online. Chow initially had the door propped open so customers did not have to touch the handle, but it has since gotten too cold, she said.

"We will instruct the customer to back away from the door as we approach to maintain the six-foot distance," Chow wrote in an email to Patch. "It will be a bit awkward but safe for all."

The precautions have forced Breadboard to reduce its schedule. But that doesn't mean business has let up. Ahead of the bakery's first sales on Saturday and Sunday, Chow told Patch her team was "so busy" trying to fill orders.

Chow has another pickup date scheduled for Wednesday and is "loosely planning" two additional bakes later this week. In a post on the bakery's Instagram page Sunday, Chow wrote that the new process "seemed to work well this weekend, but I want to spread out the demand." She will also bake extra goods for walk-ins.

Breadboard Bakery is located at 203A Broadway. Its hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the days it is open during the state of emergency.

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