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Anyone who frequents their neighborhood Subway sandwich shop knows that the first of many imminent decisions is what variety of bread will form the foundation of their hoagie. In 2000, when the options expanded from the hackneyed white and wheat, the world’s largest sandwich seller revealed the leading edge of a coming bread renaissance. Over the next few years however, at the same time that American consumers broadened their culinary horizons, carbohydrates were condemned for expanding waistlines. As a result, bread consumption dramatically declined as other, often more exotic, healthy replacements were sought.

By 2004, the assault on bread had subsided and consumption was again on the rise. Unlike before, the shopping public was no longer satisfied with the humdrum loaves from the bread aisle that had sustained them for centuries. In the search for carb-conscious alternatives, many shoppers discovered flavorful breads laden of berries, nuts and whole-grains. To the delight of bakeries and grocery stores everywhere, the more expensive artisan varieties quickly found a home in America’s breadbox and drove an era of unprecedented growth in bread sales.

Sources:

Tortilla Industry Association - http://www.tortilla-info.com/
Modern Baking - http://modernbaking.bakery-net.com/

Industry Snapshot: Artisan Bread Industry

Take a look at our full industry report on Artisan Bread Industry (PDF Format). If you are interested in other industry snapshots, visit our SBDC Business Advisors' Toolkit.

Links of Interest

Tortilla Industry Association - http://www.tortilla-info.com/

Modern Baking - http://modernbaking.bakery-net.com/

FAQ’s for Coffee Shop Business – http://www.espresso101.com/coffee_faq.html

Specialty Coffee Association Fact Sheet– http://www.scaa.org/what_is_specialty_coffee.asp

Did You Know?

You may not know that SBDCNet has over 100 Entrepreneur Guides that can be loaned to an SBDC office for a two week period. Four new titles have been added:

• Automobile Detailing
• Hair Salon
• Lawn Care
• Starting a Business on Ebay.

See http://sbdcnet.org/books.php for the entire list and use the borrow form at http://sbdcnet.org/borrow.php .

The 200 page guides consist of subtopics regarding the business manager’s approach to insurance, legal aspects, advertising and promotion, location, equipment, office setup, layout, hiring, Internet marketing, and accounting. The publisher moved 10 titles to CD technology a year ago for those who enjoy the convenience of an audio alternative (800-833-3324).

Are You Paying Attention to
Demographic Trends?

May is the Asian/ Pacific American Heritage Month
During 2005, the following areas within the United States boasted of the strongest Asian/Pacific American population:

41.6% Hawaii

12.0% California

7.0% New Jersey

6.8% New York

6.8% Washington State

Projected changes in the Asian/Pacific American population for the years 2005-2010 are:

51.4% Idaho

46.1% Kansas

43.4% North Dakota

35.6% Nebraska

34.9% New Hampshire

32.2% New Mexico

30.6% Arizona

Only two states are not projected to experience an increase in their Asian/Pacific American population:

0.0% West Virginia

-1.4% South Dakota

Source: Applied Geographic Solutions powered by SRC

Contact Us

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University of Texas at San Antonio
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San Antonio, TX 78207
http://sbdcnet.org/
sbdcnet@utsa.edu
800.689.1912