Our History
The Bread House & Granary began in 2009 as a heartfelt extension of a greater mission. When Debbie Mazur opened its doors, her vision was simple yet profound: to create a wholesome, purpose-driven space where women in recovery could gain meaningful employment and life skills. These women were residents of GraceWay, the non-profit addiction recovery center Debbie founded in 2003. Though GraceWay closed in 2025 after 22 years of transformative service, its legacy still rises each morning with the loaves in our ovens.
What began as a humble kitchen ministry in a cozy residential home quickly grew into a thriving bakery rooted in community, connection, and clean ingredients. As local demand and wholesale orders increased, the Mazur family began searching for a larger space to match their growing vision. In 2015, they found it—an unassuming, forgotten historic building on North Jefferson Street, hiding in plain sight.
After nearly a year of thoughtful renovations to preserve its original features and structural integrity while adding a full commercial kitchen, The Bread House reopened in 2016 inside the beautifully restored “Pace House,” originally built in 1902. What started as a bakery storefront soon evolved—thanks to overwhelming community interest—into a full-service lunch restaurant, despite the Mazur family having no prior experience in the industry.
Today, The Bread House is a beloved gathering place in Albany and the surrounding areas, offering health-conscious baked goods and lunch service, a specialty coffee and juice bar, and serves as a one-of-a-kind venue for events of all kind.
Rooted in mission, driven by community, and committed to quality, we invite you to come empty—and leave full.
(In 2022 we renovated our neighboring building to accommodate more events where we serve as the exclusive caterer. Check out The Whittlesey House.)
