How A Humble Montana Bakery Founded In The '70s Grew Into 'Bread Heaven' With 200 Spots Across America

When you think of cities famous for iconic breads tied to local tradition, what comes to mind? Perhaps it's San Francisco with those legendary sourdoughs, New Orleans' French loaves and authentic po'boy bread, or even New York with its bagels and bialys. But Great Falls, Montana? Absolutely, if you're talking about a humble-beginnings, 70s-era bakery called Great Harvest Bakery Co. It's a classic that easily made its way onto Tasting Table's list of the 8 best bakery chains in the U.S.

The flour-dusted story of Great Harvest began when two Cornell University students, Pete and Laura Wakeman, had the idea of baking scratch-made, whole-grain bread to help pay for tuition. After getting married, the couple set out hiking across Montana, subsequently falling in love with Big Sky Country and opening the first Great Harvest bakery in Great Falls. That was 1976, and they're still going strong 50 years later, with more than 200 locations across the U.S.

Company headquarters now tuck inside the small town of Dillon, Montana, a community of roughly 4,000 people that still reflects the warmth of old-fashioned neighborhood bakeries. The largely franchised bakery cafés are independently owned, many with deep roots in their own communities. A big part of Great Harvest's appeal and regionally specific success is that it doesn't carry a bland cookie-cutter persona. It does, however, have specific standards for the bread and food, with each location carrying the tradition of handcrafted loaves made from the same Montana wheat that's defined Great Harvest throughout the years.

It's easy to see why Great Harvest calls their 200-plus bakeries "bread heavens," since it really is all about those signature loaves. For decades, the bakery has purchased premium wheat from Montana's Golden Triangle, grown by family-owned farms. In rigorous testing, the company checks for chemical residues, GMOs, protein levels, moisture content, and more, allowing it to bypass artificial dough conditioners. In the company test kitchen, at least 100 test bakes are made annually to ensure the bread meets Great Harvest's standards.

Then the wheat gets milled fresh every single day, not just in a giant corporate facility but in each bakery. That daily milling matters because once whole grain berries are milled, the oil in the germ can oxidize, creating an unpleasant aroma and bitter flavor. Using whole-grain flour soon after milling helps preserve the fresh flavor. The loaves are likewise baked fresh daily at the local level. 

Each Great Harvest Bakery creates its own menu, but favorite breads across the spectrum include the signature Honey Whole Wheat and the popular Dakota bread — a seeded loaf made with sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds mixed into honey whole wheat dough. Local bakery menus highlight the variety of breads available, from classics like rustic sourdough, honey white, and cinnamon swirl to apple crunch, seasonal hot cross buns, and fruit-filled holiday loaves. Many locations also feature rotating specialties such as cranberry orange walnut, Michigan cherry walnut, and berry blast. Beyond bread, some café menus also serve hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and grain bowls.