An Okotoks business is marking a milestone with a new look.
Kelly and Lee Hodgins, owners COBS Bread Okotoks, remodelled their storefront earlier this year in advance of the bakery's 10th anniversary this month.
“We have to renovate every 10 years, but we didn’t want to have to wait until year 10 to do it,” said Lee Hodgins.
Even before the couple opened up shop in August 2013, the two began to ferment their involvement in the community, Kelly said, delivering baked goods to those involved in relief efforts and affected during the 2013 Alberta floods.
“We opened the same year that the flood happened,” Kelly said. “I was still a corporate bakery manager at that time, and we brought a whole bunch of stuff down to High River and Okotoks; that was kind of our first interaction with the community before we even opened.”
That continued participation in the community has been the main ingredient to their success, with the couple frequently spotted sweetening community events year-round under their branded canopy doling out scones and other carbohydrate goodies.
“That got us into every event we could get our hands on,” Lee said, with Kelly adding the involvement creates a two-way dialogue.
“I think that’s one of the things I enjoy the most about owning the business and being in the community, because it’s really nice to get out of the actual bakery and into the community,” Kelly said. “Talk to people and hear feedback, even if the feedback isn’t always positive, we can’t improve or change or do better if we don’t have feedback.
“So it’s great just to connect with people, you see them back in the bakery and it’s creating a friendship.”
The two also operate locations in the Calgary neighbourhoods of Shawnessy and Legacy, which they suspect will be plenty.
“Three kids is enough,” Lee joked.
