Lafayette native Zachary Halsema has lived in Markle the past three years, and about five months ago opened up “The Bread Guy,” a bakery and restaurant located downtown at 193 E. Morse St., in the All Your Expectations building.
The eatery specializes in sandwiches featuring sour dough and croissants among its offerings. Halsema also makes what he describes as “hot pockets,” croissants stuffed with meats and cheeses such as the ham and Gouda or a Philly style roast beef, mozzarella and sautéed green peppers and onions. He also makes a chicken salad sandwich and a Tuscan turkey sandwich, a “house favorite” with pesto rolled into the croissant dough. The restaurant also features a new soup every day.
The Bread Guy offers an array of different types of breads. Halsema’s favorite, a fougasse, is a sourdough bread containing olive oil, salt and pepper and Bourbon Bellevente cheese on top.
Most of the breads he makes are on order, such as foccacia, French baguettes and custom orders.
“If anyone ever wanted something in particular, if I don’t know how to do it I can figure it out pretty easily,” he says.
Halsema also offers catering, with his wife, Hillary, in charge of soups and sides. Future plans include special events such as a “mother and daughter tea time,” Halsema says, planning to make use of the facility’s twinkling lights to create a royal-like atmosphere.
“Girls can dress up in their little princess outfits and things like that, he says. “We’ll serve tea or hot chocolate – whatever the kids would like, and then serve up some little finger foods, croissants or whatnot besides that. I’ve been wanting to try something like that – I think it would be a neat little community event.”
Halsema also plans to obtain a food truck, taking The Bread Guy mobile. He hopes that in the future he can open a second and maybe even a third restaurant nearby, possibly Fort Wayne, Huntington or Bluffton.
The Bread Guy is open Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Halsema can be reached at 210-6366 or at The Bread Guy LLC on Facebook.
