The Cupertino Courier
Dining
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Baker Ernesto Toscano unloads a mountain of rye bread dough onto a table from a mixing machine in the kitchen of Le Boulanger in Sunnyvale.
Bakery sponsors recipe contest to celebrate silver anniversary
By ANNE GELHAUS
It's hard not to have a Pavlovian response to the smell emanating from Le Boulanger's Sunnyvale bakery. The facility produces all the dough that makes its way to the ovens of Le Boulanger's 17 Bay Area locations, and the Sunnyvale ovens are reserved for bread, bagels and other baked goods for the company's wholesale business.
But 25 years in the bakery business have inured Le Boulanger president Dan Brunello to the olfactory pleasures of his product.
"I can't smell a thing," Brunello says as he stands in front of an open oven full of hundreds of loaves of fresh-baked panini.
Brunello is hoping Le Boulanger's customers can sniff out a new item for either the deli or the bakery side of his menu. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the company is sponsoring a recipe contest open to anyone age 18 or older who can come up with a sandwich, soup, salad or baked good to complement Le Boulanger's existing offerings. Deadline for entries is Aug. 25; winners will be selected in a taste-off set for Oct. 4. Prizes include stays in Las Vegas, Napa and San Francisco.
"People are already coming up with neat, creative recipes," Brunello says. "I'm often approached by customers asking why we don't serve this or that. It's kind of fun to give them the opportunity to get involved."
Brunello's family has been involved in the baking business since 1926, when his father Paul, an Italian immigrant, opened a bakery in Weed. When Paul Brunello retired, his other son Roger took over the family business. In 1981, Dan joined Roger to open Le Boulanger's first location in Los Altos.
A quarter-century later, Le Boulanger boasts 17 locations in the South Bay and along the Peninsula, with administrative offices adjacent to the Sunnyvale bakery. Brunello says keeping a local focus gives his business an advantage over other bakeries.
"We've been able to get involved in the community in the South Bay," he adds. "Most bakeries entering this market don't have that ability. That's contributed to our success."
One community event Le Boulanger hosted was the Fishbowl, a Saturday-night club for teens at its Sunnyvale location. The club, which folded several years ago, was named in part for the clear glass that separates the dining area from the bakery, allowing customers to observe the baking process from dough to oven.
"We do a lot of tours for community groups and elementary schools," Brunello says. "We put the window in with the idea that we'd do the tours from behind the glass, but it turns out the customers enjoy watching."
Brunello is watching to see if his two children, now in college, will follow him into the family business. He spent some time in the corporate world after graduating from Cal-Poly and is encouraging his children to do the same once they earn their degrees.
"I don't know what the next generation will do," Brunello says. "A few years' experience outside the family business is probably the most valuable perspective they can bring us."
Meanwhile, Brunello is looking to the community to help ensure Le Boulanger's ongoing success.
"That's part of what inspired us to do the recipe contest," he says. "It's important for us to continue meeting our customers' needs and continue to be inspired to create new products."
Le Boulanger, 305 N. Mathilda Ave., Sunnyvale, 408.522.5225; Monday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. 20488 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, 408.446.5151; Monday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. www.leboulanger.com.
