Great Harvest Coming to Ashburn in October

Ashburn residents can expect the smell of fresh-baked breads to overwhelm the air soon, after Great Harvest Bread opens its storefront at Ice Rink Plaza. Anyone who’s ever been to one of Great Harvest’s locations knows about its fresh made products, fun, friendly atmosphere and delicious free samples!

“We want to offer the best tasting bread, cookies, muffins and scones to Ashburn and put good, healthy products in people’s hands,” said owner Tim Groszkowski, who along with his wife, Jessie, purchased the Herndon store after working there for eight years.

During the past several years he noticed that people are moving west, to Ashburn, Leesburg and beyond, and he realized that many of his customers were not making the trip to Herndon for his bread. This year, the couple decided the timing was right to open in Ashburn, marking their third store; they also own a Great Harvest in Vienna.

Several businesses have struggled at Ice Rink Plaza, but Groszkowski feels the location is right for the new store.

“We’re considered a destination, and this location is central to Ashburn,” he explained. He also said several quality businesses are moving into Ice Rink Plaza and that he’s looking forward to revitalizing the shopping center with his fellow tenants.

“We want to duplicate what we’ve done in Herndon in Ashburn,” said Groszkowski. And that means that the business is not just about the bread. The Groszkowskis want to create a family-friendly environment that focuses on great customer service and fun. The pair also emphasized the importance of giving back to others. They plan to become an integral part of the Ashburn community by donating gift certificates and goods to local organizations and charities. 

“A lot of people don’t know that we’re a franchise,” Groszkowski said. “They think that we are a mom and pop bakery and that’s just fine with us.”

Great Harvest Bread was born in the 1970s when founders Pete and Laura Wakeman began baking whole wheat breads from scratch to supplement their Cornell University tuitions. They opened the first store in Montana – where the company continues to mill its wheat fresh every day – and during the past 30 years have added more than 200 franchises.

Because Great Harvest Bread employs the freedom franchise philosophy, franchise owners have the ability to structure their stores to reflect their own personalities. That’s why you will have a different experience each time you visit a Great Harvest Bread store. 

Tim and Jessie believe their company has the whole package: fresh-made, wholesome products, great customer service, a family-friendly atmosphere and dedication to serving the community. 

They expect to open the store in October. Hours will be Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and 
Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The store 
closes every Sunday and Monday. For updates on the opening, visit the website.

[Clarification: A previous version of this story inadvertently caused some readers to think was closing. Ford's is open and doing well. Patch apologizes for the confusion.]