Great Harvest In The Community

WE HAVE THE SPIRIT OF A LOCALLY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS.

Great Harvest Bread Company may be a national corporation, but we have the spirit and heart of a locally-owned small business. Our voice and priorities reflect the small business owners who represent our over two hundred independently-owned bakeries and bakery cafes across the country.

Great Harvest also embodies the small town values one might expect from a company headquartered in Dillon, MT (population: 4,134). Our values show in everything we do. Though each of our local Great Harvest bakery and cafe franchises reflects its owners and its community, some things are true for all of them. No matter which local bakery or cafe you visit, you will find that (aside from phenomenal food) Great Harvest is about the people. We value the people in our communities, from franchise owners and their families, to employees and their families, and our customers and their families too. We’ve described our approach to food as old-fashioned, and the same can be said of our approach to people. It may be increasingly rare, but we still believe in being good neighbors, treating people well, and doing business with integrity.

You’ve probably read our Mission Statement, part of which is to “give generously.” It’s something we’re known for and we’re fortunate that it’s attracted people to our organization who share our values. Generosity is a cornerstone of our culture, and we direct it not only towards those who walk through our doors, but to people (and animals) who don’t even eat bread. Each of our locations chooses to support the causes about which they are passionate. Last year, local Great Harvest bakery franchises collectively gave over a million dollars in donations to a whole range of causes, from local charities and community organizations to international relief efforts and cancer research. We do this not just because we believe in “doing good,” but also because we know our communities support us, and we want to reciprocate. When we say that we appreciate your business, we really mean it.

Photo of the exterior of the Annapolis, MD, Great Harvest bakery

Annapolis, MD, bakery owners, with family members who suffered from Alzheimer's, give100% of the sales of their Memory Loaf bread to the Alzheimer's Association.

We helped the community of Dillon raise $11,080 over three days for the local America Legion baseball team's down payment on their new bus.

photo of the Dillon Cubs American Legion Baseball team in front of their team bus which reads “thanks, Great Harvest”
Photo of the recipients of Great Harvest scholarships

Since 2004, we've raised over $40,000 for college scholarships for our local high school graduates in Dillon, MT.

In the midst of the third week of the government shutdown in January 2019, a Great Harvest owner in Lawrence, Kan., was feeling emotional about the stories of federal employees on furlough or working without pay. So, she decided to do something to give back to her community. She set up a "Shutdown Shelf" in her bakery, offering free bread to federal workers and contractors in need. As the shutdown dragged on and word got out about Sarah’s Shutdown Shelf, Great Harvest franchisees across the U.S. started providing their own Shutdown Shelves to help the federal employees in their communities. By the time the government work stoppage came to a close, more than 70 Great Harvest locations had Shutdown Shelves available.

GH Owner, Lawrence Kan in front of her ShutDown Shelf