News

Top 100: Wildflower Bread Company No. 2

February 20, 2012

2. Wildflower Bread Company

Scottsdale, Ariz. / No. of units: 11

The Wildflower Bread Company, founded in 1996, now includes 11 units throughout Arizona, its home state. It relies on three pillars of success — outstanding food, great service and cleanliness — revolving around its tagline: “Featuring food you knead.” Founders Louis and Tracy Basile built their locally focused chain of bakery-cafés around an extensive gourmet menu, including a sandwich lineup featuring roasted sweet potato on focaccia and braised beef served on a grilled ciabatta roll.

Fresh pasta offerings include butternut squash ravioli and spinach-and-artichoke lasagna, while at least five soups are served daily.

A bakery-café wouldn’t be complete without some sort of breakfast menu, and Wildflower has a homestyle line-up that includes savory — such as the feta and roasted vegetable frittata, the Salmon Herb Chèvre Frittata or the Taylor ham and egg sandwich — and sweet, including the lemon ricotta pancakes and the stuffed French toast.

There is also a kids’ menu, a bread and pie of the month feature, a specialty cakes menu — such as the ginger biscotti cheesecake and lemon coconut torte — and bakery staples from scones to bagels to café drinks such as espressos and cappuccinos.

Off the menu, another one of the Basiles’ focuses is the restaurants’ design. Each unit embraces warm, comfortable, contemporary elements with custom color schemes and original artwork differentiating one from another. Each also has wireless Internet availability.

Wildflower strongly touts its community involvement, volunteering, donating food and supporting local organizations.

The company is affiliated with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Crisis Nursery, Share Our Strength, The Open Table, Communities In Schools of Arizona, YMCA, Big Brothers and Sisters, Home Fur Good and Second Chance Center for Animals.