Breadmaking is a newfound hobby for some Athenians during quarantine, but Kevin Scollo of Independent Baking Company has made it his life’s work. The smell of freshly baked bread draws attention to the storefront in the Five Points neighborhood of Athens, Georgia.

“Independent has the best bread in town, hands down, so if I’m able to afford it, I want to be able to give back to them,” said Kiki Griffin, an Athens resident.

Like restaurants and retail stores across the country, Independent Baking Company has had to make radical changes to stay open in the wake of restaurant closures and state shelter-in-place guidelines.

As outlined in an Instagram post from March 30, 2020, the bakery is allowing only two customers into the bakery at a time. Other customers will stand in an appropriately distanced line outside the storefront. They are also offering call-in orders, prepaid options, and curbside pickup. These measures aim to protect staff and customers from the threat of the coronavirus.

“It is the safest thing to do (and the law) at this point,” said Scollo via email. “Luckily for us, the bakery is set up as mostly to-go anyway.”

While the bakery is adapting to a new way of operating, they are still suffering the economic effects of a city on lockdown. Scollo notes that approximately 80% of the bakery’s wholesale business stopped after many local restaurants closed.

The bakery has been able to keep a full staff, who are now wearing masks and gloves at all times. They are being careful to keep a safe distance from one another and sanitizing even more frequently than usual.

“This is a stressful time for all foodservice businesses, and there needs to be more help from the government to bail out all of these restaurants,” wrote Scollo. “On the other end, we all are having to adapt to this new normal and we will continue to have to adapt to survive.”

Griffin notes the bread shortages at some grocery stores in Athens as one of the many reasons she is glad Independent Baking Company is still serving the community. In a recent Instagram story, Griffin featured breakfast made using bread from Independent Baking Company and encouraged others to support local businesses.

As of this week, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has announced an extension of the shelter-in-place order over the coronavirus through April 30, 2020. The impact of the extension on local businesses is unknown, but Scollo says that the best way to show support is with your patronage.

According to Scollo, the best way to support local businesses during this time is to keep buying from them. He hopes this will help keep local businesses alive throughout the pandemic.

"Buy merchandise, buy whatever we are selling, we are trying to make it as comfortable an experience as possible for customers, and we appreciate the support,” Scollo said.

As week four of quarantine approaches and so much seems uncertain, it is comforting to know the quality bread the community has come to love remains the same.