Hammond Bread Co. opens in Arlington

A variety of freshly baked goods are available in downtown Arlington now as Hammond Bread Co. has a storefront location.

The new business is at 119 N Olympic Ave., Arlington, and they held their grand opening on March 4.

“We have had a cottage bakery for the past five years and we baked from my home,” said owner Lauren Hammond.

She sold her home business products at various local fairs and farmers markets, and also did regular home deliveries.

“When we had the chance to rent this place and buy some bakery equipment we were just excited to have a permanent physical location,” she said.

A number of different baked pastry and bread items are available at the business.

“We’re most famous for our big fat cinnamon rolls that are as big as your face,” said Hammond.

“We have so many giant cookies and we’re starting to venture into cupcakes and cakes,” she added.

They also have a variety of breads.

“We do honey whole wheat, white, rustic, and cinnamon swirl bread,” said Hammond.

“I think that people love homemade bread. Sometimes we crack the window and just let the smell waft out there,” she added.

The bakery is family owned and employs members of the community, she said.

“I love seeing people come in and say ‘hi,’ and I love the people that work here,” said Hammond.

Having a storefront instead of a home business allows Hammond to sell the food while it is still warm.

“I love being able to bake something and serve it right out of the oven,” she said. “The cinnamon roll pulls apart. When it just comes out it has this delicious taste and texture … I never could do that before because I didn’t have a storefront."

After building the bakery business for years, she is glad to be able have a more traditional bakery location.

“It just feels magical to be able to be down here with our small little piece of downtown,” said Hammond. “I look around and think ‘are we living in a Hallmark movie?’ We have our own small-town bakery."

The current hours for the store will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

“We’ll be extending our hours later, probably in the summer time,” said Hammond.